


Automatically in love

by MissShipper



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: All the Starks are alive except for Ned, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dialogue Heavy, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, It's mostly Jon and Sansa though, Jon and Sansa Are Not Related, Jon is really sweet, Marriage Proposal, Married Life, Mentions of past abuse, Not Beta Read, POV Alternating, Parenthood, This is slightly inspired by a Youtube video of 32 questions to fall in love or something like that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-06-24 03:44:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19715554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissShipper/pseuds/MissShipper
Summary: Jon and Sansa are travellers. They meet in Rio, start a relationship in Buenos Aires, get wild in Barcelona, and build a life together in London.





	1. Rio de Janeiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Sansa meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're not familiar with Rio de Janeiro, just click on the links I've left during the chapter.

Jon does not mind the noise. Really. He knows he’s going to deal with it since he’s used to stay at hostels to save money. But, right now, after a long and terrible flight, he was not in the mood. He just wanted to take a shower and get some sleep before hitting the city. 

But when he gets to his room - which he’s going to share with two strangers -, he is not expecting such a view. He forgets his fatigue and jet-lag just to look at her. She was beautiful, yes, with simple short and white clothes, a messy bun that definitely didn’t keep her auburn hair in place, singing _Tiny Dancer_ at the top of her lungs. The woman looked radiant as she swayed her hips along to the song that was coming out of a JBL speaker. 

He smiled at the scene. As a photographer, he would give everything to capture the moment. He lived for spontaneity, and she was emanating so much happiness that he could live in the now for the rest of his life. Jon fought the urge to pick his camera and take a picture of her. That would be very much creepy, and he was not that kind of person. By the chorus, he was almost singing along with her. But then, she whirled and noticed him. His smile grew wider as she gasped and looked guilty, immediately turning the volume down. 

“I’m sorry! I thought guests were only supposed to arrive after lunch”, she said. 

“No, no, it’s okay. You have a nice voice”, he laughed at the expression she made. “I’m Jon. Snow. Jon Snow.” 

She shook his hand, offering a smile. “Sansa Stark.” 

“I didn’t know this was a mixed dorm”, he said as he entered the room. There was one single bed and one bunk bed, all in white sheets and puffy pillows. 

“It is, but I’m not staying in here, since I’ve got my own room. I was just getting everything organised for when the guests arrive. It’s December in Rio, perfectly sunny, but also really crowded.” 

“Oh. So you work here?”, he asked, putting his suitcase on the bedside table. 

“Yeah. I’ve been worldpacking for a while now”, she explained. “Meaning… I get to work here in exchange for a roof, if you don’t know what that is.” 

He smiled. “I do know, as I’ve been doing the quite same thing over the last couple of years. Never thought I’d meet an English girl in the middle of my time in Rio, though.” 

They were awkwardly standing in the middle of the room. Sansa was playing with her fingers as she answered. 

“It’s nice to find a fellow English in Brazil. Your first time here?” 

“Rio, yes. But I’ve been to Brazil before.” 

“Well”, Sansa let out a heavy breath. “I’ve been living here for about 2 months. Would love to show you around.” 

He didn’t know if she was offering out of politeness or sincerity. Jon cracked another smile. She was good at making him smile, he thought. “Yeah. That’d be great.” 

“Okay, Mrs Nice hair. I’ll be free just in time to catch the most beautiful sunset you’ll ever witness. Be ready and wait for me in the hall by 6 o’clock.” 

Cheerfully, she gave him a nod and left the room. 

Jon left his room a little bit early. He was hoping to get to know the hostel and other people as well. It was his favourite part of travelling – getting to meet new people, their stories, their culture. What they are passionate about, what they hate. Just connecting. For a long time in his life, he was stuck in elevators of high buildings and boring meetings. He remembers dreaming about having this life that he does now. But it wasn’t easy to let go of everything he had known for his whole life. At the same time, he was tired of being miserable. 

In about thirty minutes, Jon had learned about Rodrigo and Chris, two businessmen who happened to share the same concerns he used to. Jon might’ve persuaded them into quitting and exploring the world for just one year. They didn’t seem to have the courage to do it; Jon just laughed. It was not his place to judge. 

Sansa appeared right on time. “Hey! You ready to go?” 

“Hey. Yeah, I’ll just grab my camera and then we can leave.” He smiled at her. She was now wearing a sparkly blue dress that made her eyes seem even bluer. 

She waved goodbye to her workmates, said something in Portuguese and led the way out. 

“I’m taking you to Arpoador. Have you ever heard of it?”, she asked, putting a string of her hair behind her ear. 

“Of course. I did my research. It’s one of the most famous spots here in Rio.” Jon frowned, suddenly confused. “You take me for a fool, Sansa Stark?” 

Sansa laughed. “Gods, no! I’m sorry if I made it seem like it”, she stopped, reaching out to touch his arm. Jon just shrugged. He was amused by her. “We’re going by feet. It’s not over a 20-minute walk, but you’re not even going to notice it. Ipanema’s beachfront is beautiful- Oh! And there’s also that statue of a famous writer. I forgot his name; sorry. But we can stop there if you’d like.” 

She looked cute as she babbled, Jon thought. “It’s fine”, he finally answered. “Just lead the way and I’ll follow you. Will also be taking pictures all along. It seems like everything here is simply beautiful.” 

“It’s because it is”, she agreed. “When I first got here, I was mesmerized. I’m head over heels with Rio. It’s been the best relationship I’ve ever had.” 

“It can’t be perfect”, Jon raised his brows as they were crossing the street to the beachfront. It was breezy and his hair was all over the place, so he got a hair tie to keep it together. 

“It’s not. Gods know that the government doesn’t give a shit about the people, and the public transport doesn’t make any sense – it’s like they have one for every area of the city, don’t even get me started on this, it’s _so_ fucked up”, she emphasized. “But then again, I don’t know one relationship that is perfect. Rio’s where I’ve found myself, and I like to think that it’s special.” 

As they walked through the beachfront, he noticed that the two of them stand out. Brazilian people were so diverse that it was clear to everyone that they were visitors. It was like they were the two kids in high school who didn’t fit in. Just at the appearances though, because the Brazilians were, by far, the most likeable people he had ever met. They seemed like they were always in a good mood, just laughing and having the time of their lives. 

“That’s deep”, Jon said, shooting a look at her, who had a tiny smile on her lips. “But I get what you’re saying. I started travelling to find myself as well.” 

“Once you get to know who you are, it changes everything. When I think of all the bullshit I had to put up with my whole life just to please somebody that I thought I loved, I feel like dying. I just want to go back in time and put some sense in myself, you know?”, Sansa chuckled.

“It’s part of the process of growth, Ms Nice smile.”

“So”, she started as they approached a kiosk, looking into his eyes, a playful smile on her lips. “Tell me your story, Jon Snow.”

While Sansa ordered coconut water for them, he told her how he got to Rio in the first place. He’d been travelling for about a year now, and sharing some pictures on Instagram was a way that he found to show the world to his mom, who had passed away a few months before he left his hometown to hit the world. His profile got bigger and next month he was going to spend some time in Argentina, sponsored by a brand of an adventurous lifestyle. Sansa looked sympathetic and surprised by what he told her, and she was kind enough to not pity him when he told her about his mother. A thing he very much appreciated.

“I have this Instagram thing for my mom too. But it’s only when I’m actually in the photo, or doing some very touristy pose of something. It’s called #picsformom and she absolutely loves it”, It’s the first thing she said, right after they left the kiosk to keep walking to Arpoador. “I’m sure your mom would love yours too. I mean, look at you, getting sponsored and everything!”

He smiled at her kindness. She kept going, “So you’re in Rio just for this month?”

“Yes. I have to be in Argentina by the first week of January. What about you? Going to live here for good?”

“Oh”, she was caught off guard, as if she hadn’t thought about her future for quite some time. “No, not for good. But I don’t think I want to leave Rio anytime soon. The hostel’s a great deal for me. Maybe I’m going to other Brazilian cities, who knows?”

She gestured for them to turn left, and then they arrived at [Arpoador](https://live.staticflickr.com/5824/23908372422_bafc4d0993_b.jpg). The beach and the stone were breathtakingly beautiful. There were no clouds up in the sky, which was painted in a mix of orange, pink and yellow.

“Told you it was beautiful”, Sansa bragged. “Come on, we have to walk to the stone so that we get a nice place to watch the [sunset](https://tourist2townie.com/wp-content/uploads/Arpoador3.png).”

She grabbed his hand, walking towards the massive piece of stone in the middle of the sea. When they got to the spot, the sun was starting to make its way to meet the sea. They sat side by side and watched the spectacle of nature in silence. Some people started to clap, others were dancing, and some were teary-eyed.

Sansa had her red sunglasses at the top of her head and a smile on her lips. The sunlight met her eyes and her skin and the colour of her hair, and she was glowing so beautifully that it got Jon’s attention. She, once again, looked radiant. 

“You’re supposed to watch the sunset, silly”, she said, not taking her eyes off of the sky. 

Jon didn’t answer, just gave her a smile. It was simple, yet sincere. He took his camera out of its pocket and focused on her direction. He made sure to block some people who were behind her, so that it was only her face, the orange sky, and the blue ocean in the shot. 

When he pressed the shot button, her smile grew a little bit wider and her eyes moved in his direction. 

“I am”, he said and his voice seemed like a whisper to her ears. “See?” 

He offered her the camera. “You’re cheesy”, she stated. “It’s a beautiful shot. Thank you.” Sansa returned him the camera and turned to the ocean again. The sun was now set and the skies had become blue-ish. Decided to watch the stars, he laid on his back. After a few moments, she mirrored his actions. 

“We can’t take too long here. It gets dangerous when it’s dark”, Sansa warned after a few minutes of silence. “We should go back to the beach.” 

“Yeah, we probably should”, Jon agreed, but didn’t move. He could feel her eyes analyzing his lack of action. 

“Okay then. If we get mugged, that’s on you.” 

“I don’t know anything about you.” 

“Fair enough. I’ll give you 5 questions”, she rolled on her side so that she could face him. “Be creative.” 

Sansa put her playful smile on board, which intrigued Jon in a delicious way. He pondered, unsure of what to ask her first. He wanted to know everything about her. What’s her favourite colour? Does she have a family or is all by herself, just like me? Does she have a boyfriend? Is she rich? What’s her favourite childhood memory? Did she go to college? What are her hobbies? Does she tease everybody just like she teases him? 

Jon is not stupid. He understood what was going on. He had had a few other quick encounters and romantic getaways during his time away from home. He had forgotten all about them right now. It was the cycle of the life he was living - they met, fucked and said goodbye. No strings attached, just living in the moment. But, for some reason, he didn’t want to forget Sansa. 

He sighed, then managed to ask. “It’s 4 in the morning on a Wednesday and you are awake in your house. What are you doing?” 

“Eating lemon cakes. The only reason I’d be up at 4 a.m on a Wednesday is to cook lemon cakes”, she answered him right away. 

“Are lemon cakes your favourite?”, he asked, genuinely intrigued. She seemed very passionate about lemon cakes. 

“Is that your second question?”, Sansa quirked a brow, making Jon crackle the corner of his lips in a smile. 

“You’re good”, he said between laughs. “But, no, it’s not.” 

“What is it, then?”, her smile showed her teeth now. 

“Name three things that we have in common.” 

“That’s not exactly a question, but okay”, she frowned, then shook her head, as if she was carefully thinking of her answer. “The obvious thing is that we didn’t feel like we belonged or fit in, because we decided to explore the world”, she laid on her back again, looking up at the stars. “I’d also say that we’re brave and that we are afraid of getting our feelings hurt.” 

Jon considered. “That’s pretty accurate.” 

“I know”, she replied. Jon didn’t say anything, so she continued. “Already bored of me? You have three more questions, Ser.” 

Back to reality, he shot another. “Say you’re going to die tonight. You don’t have the opportunity to talk with anyone. Would you regret not telling somebody a thing you really wanted to tell them?” 

“Yeah, I would. I’d tell Joffrey, a prick of a boyfriend who nearly turned to husband, to fuck off the first time I had the chance.” 

He could feel that the topic was sensitive, so he reached out his hand to catch hers. “Life’s too short to be in shitty relationships, you know.” 

“Yes, I understand that now”, she answered, caressing his thumb. It felt good. It felt intimate. 

“What’s your life story? Tell me in two minutes.” 

She looked at him, appalled. “Hey!”, Sansa exclaimed. “That’s cheating. You’re full of shit, Jon.” 

He laughed at her reaction. “I have a feeling that you might like me just the way I am.” 

“Oh Gods, I don’t even know how to begin”, she stood and sat, embracing her legs. “Uh, okay. My dad died when I was very young, it fucked my whole family up. I still got daddy issues. Mom refuses to find love again, which makes me sad. My siblings are everything to me. They’re successful bitches, and I like to think about us as a pack. I’m a journalist and used to work at ESPN. I’m kind of Instagram famous, but I’ve grown to dislike social media, so I’m not very active. I listen to a lot of different music styles, but anything from the 80s is by far my favourite. I love getting to know new people, to have a few drinks, and I’m always, always, always singing.” 

“You’re not singing right now”, he pointed out. Sansa snorted. 

“Stop being an asshole”, she said, but he could tell she was joking. “It’s time for your last question. And then we have to leave, because I’m hungry.” 

He chuckled at her honesty. “Okay. What is love to you?” 

“Getting deep, aren’t we?”, she made fun of him, but Jon didn’t mind at all. “Love? I don’t know. It seems like a thing that was made to drive us insane.” 

He took her out to dinner that night. Well, actually, they ate a hot dog in the middle of the street. But Sansa didn’t seem to care, and Jon ate everything that was in front of him. The other day, they went to on a hike that ended near [Cristo Redentor](https://s2rio.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/passeio-ao-cristo-redentor-panoramica-1024x382.jpg). Jon decided to start to record some bits of their adventure together. He was sure it was going to make a great video out of it, because Rio was beautiful, because Sansa was beautiful and because they were having a pretty good time. 

Besides Cristo Redentor, Sansa managed to take him to every postcard landscape of the city: [Pão de Açúcar](http://cidadedeniteroi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/P%C3%A3o-de-Acucar-1024x556.jpg), [Corcovado](https://www.ingressocomdesconto.com.br/Content/upload/providers/2/2.JPG), the [botanical garden](https://maladeaventuras.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Aleia_Barbosa_Rodrigues_no_Jardim_Bot%C3%A2nico_do_Rio_de_Janeiro_-_Brasil-1-750x400.jpg) and more. She explained how the city only worked for those who had money, and how some of the people who she had met had to take long journeys of three or four hours just to get to their workplace. But, above all, Jon loved how she could see beauty in every little thing. It wasn’t an impossible task to do, once they were revolved around incredibly-breathtaking-unreal scenarios, but Sansa found beauty in a stranger’s smile or at the tube arriving on time at the station. 

Jon was pretty sure he fell in love with her the first time they kissed. He was going to do it, he wanted to kiss her since the first time he laid eyes on her, but it was light and gentle and funny, just like all of their time together had been. 

The night he kissed her for the first time, they went out for a night of drinks at [Lapa](https://www.viajali.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/melhores-atracoes-bairro-da-lapa-rio-de-janeiro.jpg), a friendly neighbourhood in Rio where lots of cool bars were placed. It was a recommendation of a brazilian mate that was also staying at the hostel. He said that they served the best _[caipirinha](https://img.estadao.com.br/fotos/crop/1200x1200/resources/jpg/9/3/1532640931039.jpg)_ _,_ a Brazilian cocktail that involved lime, sugar and _cachaça,_ a distilled beverage made out of sugarcane - it’s like vodka, but stronger. It’s refreshing, potent and so much fun. 

They both didn’t know how to pronounce the name of the drink. Sansa could only get until _caipi,_ which was concerning, since she knew how to speak a little bit of Portuguese. Jon, on the other hand, didn’t even try. But it was something in that night, that bar, the way her smile seemed like the prettiest thing on the planet, the way her red hair matched his jacket. Maybe it was the 5 caipirinhas they had each. Maybe it was the fact that he told her everything that night, of his self-doubt, shitty relationships, mommy issues and how nothing ever seemed to make sense. Maybe it was the fact that Sansa knew exactly how to lighten the mood. 

Jon didn’t know a lot of things. But, that night, he was sure that he was going to kiss her. He wanted to taste her, to devour her pinky lips, like he never wanted anything in his life. So he did. 

A local musician was playing samba and Sansa couldn’t stop laughing. He asked her for a dance, even though he wasn’t much for dancing. Never been. But for Sansa, he did. Jon could tell she wanted to just get up and dance. 

It was ridiculous, really. Neither of them knew how to move properly and were very much out of rhythm, but Sansa’s laughed at his attempts, and that was something. 

He could feel a lot of eyes on their movements. People were laughing, which could be embarrassing, but they were both drunk and Jon only had eyes for Sansa, and Sansa only had eyes to Jon. 

“He smiles!”, she exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. “You’re cute when you’re not brooding.” 

“Sansa, you’re not paying attention,” he stated as she swayed her legs, attempting to dance. “I’m always smiling when I’m with you, especially if you’re trying to dance samba.” 

“He also teases”, Sansa smiled. “I like it. I like you, Jon Snow.” 

“Then you are lucky, Sansa Stark”, Jon reached out and gently pulled her closer, so they were now dancing together, as one. “I might like you too.” 

She closed her eyes, resting her forehead on his. “I don’t think you have it in you to kiss me.” 

“Oh, baby, that’s where you’re wrong”, he touched her face and waited until she opened her eyes. She giggled back at him, and Jon smiled at her. When he was looking straight into her ocean blue eyes, he said: “I do.” 

He kissed her cheek, then her smile, then her lips. She tasted like lime and heaven and happiness. She tasted like nice conversations and beautiful sunsets and true connection. She tasted like Rio. 

Sansa had said that kissing him felt good, so he kept kissing her for the next days and nights. He could kiss her for the rest of his life. The fact that he was so smitten about this girl was strange, because Jon knew better than to fall for a girl during a trip. He never saw the point of having a summer love when it’s supposed to have an expiry date, but then again, it felt real. So he let himself feel. Jon didn’t push her, though. They never talked about the end, maybe because neither of them wanted the end to be real, maybe because she always knew it was ending and had already accepted it. But when the end was near, he couldn’t shake the pit on his stomach. He was going to leave Rio the day after New Year’s Day, which was only two days from now. 

He decided to make the most of the time they had together. It was Karaoke Night at the hostel, and to say that Sansa was excited was a pleonasm. 

“I don’t know which song to pick!” Her brows frowned, like she was really having a hard time. 

Jon grabbed the notebook with the options from her hand, already having something in mind. “I guess I have a suggestion.” 

He searched for the section of singers whose name started with B, looking for Bryan Adams. If there was a song that summed up this month with her, it was Summer of ‘69. 

“Here”, he pointed at the title, grateful that they had it in the catalogue. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, Jon”, she blurted out. “You have to sing this one with me.” 

It wasn’t much of a request. She was demanding it; to be fair, Jon was hoping that she did it. He was more than happy to accept it. “Okay. I’ll sing with you.” 

She gave him a quick hug, rushing to the corner of the room to give the music code to Mel, the girl who was accountable for the karaoke. 

“We’re up next”, Sansa said, sitting right next to him. “Let’s organise things first. I think I want to sing the first part of the song. Then you can take over by ‘Me and the guys from school’, then we can sing together. This is going to be so much fun!”. She never looked so happy, so Jon just smiled. As she kept babbling about their performance, he took a few pictures of her, positioning his cellphone to record what was going to happen now. 

Jon got the microphone for them. The first strings of the song left the speakers, filling the room. Sansa got up and pulled him to the centre of it. The room wasn’t packed, but there were some friends they had made along this month. Every one of them seemed to be thanking the Gods for having the opportunity to witness Jon Snow singing. 

“ _I got my first real six-string_ ”, Sansa started. “ _Bought it at the five-and-dime, played it 'til my fingers bled_ ”, she got closer to him, leaning on his back. “ _Was the summer of sixty-nine_.” 

“ _Me and some guys from school_ ”, Jon sang and pretty much everyone laughed at him. “ _Had a band and we tried real hard. Jimmy quit, Jody got married_ ”, he started to incorporate the persona of a rockstar. “ _I should've known... we'd never get far._ ” 

They faced each other. Her smile was pure gold as they sang together. “ _Oh, when I look back now, that summer seemed to last forever,_ ” Sansa stretched her hands to the sky. “ _And if I had the choice, yeah, I'd always wanna be there,_ ” Jon reached out for her hand, made her turn and fall into his arms. “ _Those were the best days of my life._ ” 

She got free of his arms just to play air guitar. Jon started to jump, involving the audience. “Come on!”, he shouted. 

Laughing, Sansa started to sing again. “ _Ain't no use in complainin' when you've got a job to do,_ ” Her foot tapped to the beat as she walked towards he workmates. “ _Spent my evenings down at the drive-in, and that's when I met you._ ” Now, she pointed at Jon, amused by the words. 

“ _Standin' on your mama's porch, you told me that you'd wait forever_ ,” Jon replied, also pointing at her. “ _Oooooh, and when you held my hand, I knew that it was now or never,_ ” He got close and grabbed her hand, that was flying up in the air. “ _Those were the best days of my life!_ ” 

Holding her, they jumped as they shared the mic. “ _Ooooh, yeaahhhh. Back in the summer of sixty-nine! Oooooh!”_

Back and forth, Sansa swayed as the beat picked up pace. The bridge was always the peak of the song. “ _Man, we were killin' time, we were young and restless. We needed to unwind,”_ She sang in a bossy tone. _“I guess nothin' can last foreeeever, foreeeeever… No!”_

“ _Yeah!_ ”, the audience cheered along with Jon. “ _And now the times are changin', look at everything that's come and gone”,_ as he sang, she mimicked the words. _“Sometimes when I play that old six-string, I think about you, wonder what went wrong…”_ Her fingers were now in her head and she looked confused, really impersonating the lyrics. 

The rhythm decreased and he got close to her again, willing to share his mic once again. “ _Standin' on your mama's porch, you told me that it'd last forever,”_ He pointed at her chest and felt her rapid breath. 

_“Oooh, and when you held my hand, I knew that it was now or never,_ ” She intertwined their fingers and closed the distance between them, making her forehead touch his. “ _Those were the best days of my life.”_

“ _Ooooh, yeahhh_ ”, the audience shouted the words. 

Jon spun her around, then held her from behind as they jumped to the last words of the song. _“Back in the summer of sixty-nine, oooh. It was the summer of sixty-nine, oh yeeeeeah,_ ” Sansa turned around to look at him. Jon’s hand travelled down to lay at her waist. “ _Me and my baby in sixty-nine, ooooh.”_ Then, she closed her eyes, and sang with every fibre of her body. _“It was the summer, the summer, the summer of sixty-nine, yeah!”_

When the song ended, the crowd cheered and cheered and cheered. She kept her eyes closed and her smile screamed that she had never felt more alive. Their heavy breath matched when she finally opened her mouth. “Your voice gets thicker when you sing.” 

“Please,” he blew. “You never told me you could sing.” 

She opened her eyes and quirked a brow. “You never told me you were a performer.” 

“Well,” Jon smiled. “I was following your lead.” 

Sansa led him upstairs to her room. When she closed the door, silence fell upon them. She sat on the floor by his side. It was hot and the cold ground felt amazingly good. 

“My friends are asking about you”, she said and Jon immediately knew she was talking about the picture she posted oh her Instagram. It was a simple black & white shot of her between trees, when they went on that hike. She had posted only recently, though, under the caption of ‘Your eyes @snowcommander’. “Everybody wants to know who’s the guy behind the pic.” 

“What did you say to them?” 

“That you were just some guy I’ve met, you know”, She answered, teasing him. “Nobody important.” 

“Is that so?”, he opened his arms and Sansa fell into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulders. 

“I don’t want to say goodbye”, she stated, heavy breathing. 

“Hey”, Jon touched her cheek, making her face him. “We don’t have to go through it. And we still got two more days.” 

Sansa shook her head affirmatively, then touched the tip of his nose. “Thank you.” 

He understood what she was trying to say, so he said it back. “And I thank you. We’ll still be friends, don’t you worry.” 

“But friends don’t kiss. And I want to kiss your lips.” 

She smiled and proceeded to sit on his lap. She kissed him deliciously slowly, like she was trying to save every bit of his mouth so that she could carry it with her. She kissed him like his mouth were her favourite place to be, like she was creating the best sensation she ever felt. And Jon kissed her like she wanted to be kissed, like no one had ever kissed her like this before. It was soft, and hot, and breathy. They kissed like they were sharing one passionate and timeless moment. 

When she moaned against his lips, Jon touched the skin beneath her shirt. Sansa removed her crop top along with Jon’s black t-shirt and the feeling of their bare chests touching one another ignited a fire through her veins. Heat rose in her cheeks and she felt his hands on her hips, encouraging her to find a pace on his lap. He kissed her again, firmer, more determined, electric and delightful. Sansa started to move against him, desperately trying to find release as her hands ran slowly through his hair, his thick shoulders, his chest. Jon’s hands found the clasp of her black, lacy bra, and when his full mouth met her pinky tits, it felt like the nicest thing in the world. 

He twirled his tongue, licked it, sucked on it, and Sansa threw her head and closed her eyes, longing to that feeling. His mouth found her neck as one hand cupped her breast and the other travelled up and down her legs, her ass, her inner thighs. She moaned against the spot where his neck found his shoulder, then placed an open-mouthed kiss against his skin. 

“The clothes need to go,” Sansa whispered in his ear, sucking his lobe between her teeth. “And we should probably get to bed.” 

He laughed as he helped her get up. She let go of her high-waisted shorts and of her panties, her eyes never leaving his, maintaining the arousal that was filling the room at that very moment. It didn’t take long to Jon to strip naked before her as well. Sansa intertwined their fingers as she positioned herself atop of him. When she kissed him again, his mouth was already opened. The tip of his tongue touched hers; he was hungry for her. Her bodies twined together, and every movement made the contact even more delicious than the one before. 

Jon groaned when he found her wetness, so damn ready for him. She moved his hands to her clit, helping him with a rhythm that she very much liked. It started painfully slowly, and then faster, and then slowly, then faster, and faster, and _oh -_

And just like that, giving Sansa pleasure became his favourite thing. So he took his time to learn every little thing that made her skin shiver and her mouth deliver lovely sounds. She was determined to learn how Jon liked to be pleased as well, only to find out that wrapping her mouth around the tip of his cock as her hands stroke him pretty much did it. She loved how he didn’t push her head forward; on the contrary, he smoothed her hair and whispered her name like a plead. 

“I want to take you,” he managed to say. She positioned her naked, sweaty body against his chest, then gently bit his chin and his lower lip. When she found a condom on her bedside table, she opened it and rolled over his cock quickly. 

“I am already yours.” 

Sansa sank down, his hands found her hips, her breasts, and his thrusts met hers mid-way and there was no feeling like it. 

It’s the oldest story in the world. It felt like destiny was designed. He had to get to travel abroad, he had to be a great photographer, he had to get a job offer, he had to get to Rio so that he could meet her. He had to get to her, meet her, love her in every way that he knew how. 

It’s the oldest story in the world. All we want is to love somebody and to be loved in return. It’s the oldest story in the world. What more could somebody want besides loving and being loved? 

Light and free, his luck was clear. It had a sweet voice, the scent of the soul, of honesty and of serendipity. As they found their release, laughter danced through the air. 

He looked at her messy hair and teasing smile and couldn’t help but ask. 

“Come with me to Argentina.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Do you think Sansa is going to Buenos Aires with Jon? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. :)  
> This work is going to have four chapters, and it's going to have a little bit of a time jump between them. I hope you like their dynamic. Pay attention to the dialogue, because it says everything. Also, English is not my first language and this is nota Beta read (if you want to Beta this story, please let me know. I would love some help!) 
> 
> I'm sansastarkw on tumblr. Come say hi!


	2. Buenos Aires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa finds Jon in Buenos Aires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a better experience, click on the links I've left through the chapter. They will give you a better view of the city.

Sansa was fighting the urge to sleep during the ride that was taking her to her Airbnb. The airport of Ezeiza was relatively far from the city centre of Buenos Aires, and she could get an almost one-hour nap since her flight was anything but calm. But the driver seemed nice and she didn’t want to be rude and shush him. 

“So, what brings you to the beautiful city of Buenos Aires?”, the old driver had a rough English accent, but Sansa could understand him perfectly. 

“Trying to make up for some bad decisions, I guess.” 

“Old lover?” 

She sighed. “Kind of… Yeah, I could say that.” 

“What happened?”, she frowned at his question, judging his curiosity. “Look, I don’t want to be invasive, but we got a long journey until we get to the address you gave me. Not to mention, I am a great adviser.”

Sansa laughed at his words, suddenly feeling more than comfortable to share. It was not like she was ever going to see him again. 

“Okay”, she started when her laugh died. “We met last year in Rio. I was spending some time there, working at a hostel, trying to figure out personal things. And then, he was all over the place. He caught me dancing to Tiny Dancer in the middle of the room, I offered to show him the city, and the rest is history.”

“He’s living in Buenos Aires now? And that’s why you’re not together?”

“I don’t know what would happen if he stayed a bit more in Rio, but considering our connection, I guess so. He got a job here, asked me to come with him and everything. But I couldn’t.”

“And now you can”, he pointed out. Yes, now she could. It was as simple as that: now, she was ready. “Does he know you’re here?”

“That’s when it gets funny”, she let out a nervous laugh. “We haven’t spoken, like, have a proper conversation, in a few months. He doesn’t know I’m coming.” 

“You kids are so complicated”, he said, his voice even. “When I was about your age, I met the love of my life. I saw her and then it clicked. The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew I was going to marry her - I just had this feeling inside of me. After a few years, she noticed me, and we did actually end up getting married. We lived a modest life, but it worked for us. At least at the beginning. Now I live with the regret of letting her go. There is not a day the sun goes up in the sky that I don’t regret not waking up beside her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. When it’s forever, forever will be. Even when it’s done, it’s never actually over. In the end, it’s good to have had a real love. I carry her with me every day.” 

Sansa fought the urge to cry. “That’s beautiful”, she gave him a reassuring smile. “I hope you find happiness once again.” 

“Thank you. I just want to tell you to not complicate things. Love is supposed to be easy, and light, and good. Everything else is just us complicating things.” 

As the old man told her they were approaching her destination, she sent a text message to her host. Her name was Sofía and, judging by the picture, she was young. Sansa had looked for rooms in hostels, but this trip was a last-minute decision and apparently, the city was full of tourists. It was spring, the sun was out and the temperature was cool. A perfect recipe. She was lucky to find an apartment. 

Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself why she was doing this. Getting on a plane to Buenos Aires instead of going back home to her brother’s birthday. Maybe coming here was a mistake. She shook the thought. She was not going to be a coward anymore. _Don’t complicate things,_ she reminded herself. 

Sansa waved goodbye to the taxi driver as she recognised the girl standing at the front of the building. The blonde rushed to help her with the suitcase, but it wasn’t necessary. Sansa had learned to travel light over the past years. 

“Hi! I’m Sofía,” she greeted. “You must be Sansa, right?” 

“Yeah, that would be me”, Sansa smiled, finding her accent cute. “Thanks for having me.”

“Well, you are paying me, so I should be thanking you”, the short girl quirked a brow. “Let’s go upstairs and get you settled. I’ll explain to you the rules and we can talk about the city.” 

Sansa followed her through the stairs. The apartment had a black & white theme and although Sansa was crazy about colours, she found it really elegant. The rooms passed the sensation of calm, which was very much welcoming. Being in Buenos Aires made everything _real._

She was not back in her room in Rio, checking his Instagram to see if he was still in Argentina. She didn’t have the courage to just message him, and arriving as a surprise felt perfect. Until now. 

See, she liked to plan things. Surprises had always made Sansa anxious. 

But she didn’t plan anything about this. No, she was alone on a Saturday, drinking red wine, and remembering him. Then it was just easy to go through the memories and text messages. Because they did, in fact, kept contact. They were miserable at the airport, but he left in good terms. 

After a couple of days, Jon had even put a short-montage of clips of their moments together in Rio, which Sansa appeared always smiling, and the choice of the song made her weep for months. Falling in love by Glimmer of Blooms would always make her smile between tears. 

It had been the #1 song at Sansa’s last.fm for a long time. 

Sofia spoke again, taking Sansa out of her trance. “The AC is interconnected through the whole apartment, so don’t worry, you won’t melt in here.” 

“Oh, that’s very much appreciated by yours truly”, she said, tucking a string of her hair behind her ear. “I was living in Rio before coming here, so what you just said is like heaven for me.” 

Sofia blurted out a laugh, then proceeded to explain how the apartment worked. “Well, I’m glad to hear. There are also speakers embed up in the ceiling, just connect them through Bluetooth. Wifi password is written on the whiteboard hanged in the kitchen, as are the general rules of the building.” 

When the apartment tour was finished, Sofia managed to say, “That’s pretty much it! I gotta go now, but I really hope you enjoy your stay. If you need anything, just hit me up on WhatsApp, okay?”

“Yeah, will do. Thank you very much.” 

Sansa gave her a quick hug, then watched the girl leave. She searched for the coffee machine. 

If she was really going to do this, she needed caffeine running through her veins. 

Once she ended her count to ten, she pressed _send._ And it was done. A simple picture of [Plaza de Mayo](https://www.turbuenosaires.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/playa_de_mayo_1.jpg), one of the most famous postcards of Buenos Aires, and one word. One simple, meaningful word. 

**Sansa:**

_Saudade._

_Saudade_ was a beautiful word that Sansa had learned during her time in Brazil. It’s the representation of that longing, melancholic and nostalgic feeling of a love that remains after someone is gone. Those feelings, experiences and events that once brought you pleasure and excitement trigger the senses, and makes you relive every moment of it. It is the sadness from missing something or someone you loved, and happiness at the same time, because you had lived those moments. 

Jon had used this word to her once, the day he sent the video to her. It lingered. 

His reply came faster than she was expecting. 

**Jon:**

So you’re in Buenos Aires and I’m your booty call? 

She let out a heavy breath. Of course he would take things lightly. Before her body turned into another ball of anxiety, her phone vibrated once again. 

**Jon:**

It’s the middle of the afternoon, Sansa. That’s not how it’s done. 

And again. 

**Jon:**

Btw, I miss you too. 

Okay, that was _something._ Suddenly she didn’t feel like this was a mistake anymore. Sansa smiled as she typed her answer. 

**Sansa:**

Cut the bs, Mrs Pretty Face. ;) Are you free to show me the city? May I say that u owe me? 

**Jon:**

Always demanding. May I say that you offered to be my guide last year? 

**Sansa:**

Rude. I was being nice. 

**Jon:**

No. You were putting your plan to seduce me and then leave me into action. 

**Sansa:**

Jon. 

**Jon:**

Sansa. 

**Sansa:  
**Jon. 

**Jon:**

Sansa. 

She didn’t respond immediately. 

**Jon:**

You know I’m kidding, right? 

**Sansa:**

*sighs in relief* 

**Jon:**

HAHA. Didn’t knew people still used little stars to indicate action. Text me your address. :D I’ll be free in a few hours. 

**Sansa:**

Asterisk, you mean. 

**Jon:**

The address, Ms Know It All.   


She felt his presence before she saw him. Sansa was sitting on a bench in front of Casa Rosada, the president’s Head Office. They had agreed to meet at the square since her apartment was nearby. 

“That is a sight I never thought I’d ever see again”, is the first thing Jon said, staring directly at her. His gaze was deep and his voice was soft. Sansa shivered. 

“Hey”, she walked towards him. “Long time no see.” 

Jon pulled her into a fierce hug. As he breathed her in, she hid her face on his shoulder, suddenly feeling like crying. Before the tears started to fall from her eyes, she let go of him. 

“How’s life? Were you still working at the hostel? Tell me everything.”

“Yeah, I got promoted and everything”, he smiled as they moved to sit on the bench, beneath a huge tree. “Because of that, I got to work in other cities as well. Lived in São Paulo and Curitiba but if I’m being honest, there’s no place like Rio.” 

“You’re right. There isn’t.”

“What about you? Still filming the program?”

“No. We’ve finished two months ago, actually. My contract is nearly over, just have to be present to keep up with the editing process, as I’m the director of photography.” 

Sansa’s eyes popped out. “You didn’t tell me you were the director of photography! That’s amazing, Jon!”, she exclaimed.

“I can’t help it, I’m just that good”, he said and there was a certain arrogance in his voice. But Sansa knew he was only teasing her. 

“And cocky, I see.” 

Jon chuckled and she adored the wrinkles that were formed at the corner of his eyes. 

“I’m happy for you”, she declared after his laugh decreased. “It seems like you’ve found a job that you’re proud of.” 

“Thank you. I could say that I’m proud, yes. Argentina is a beautiful country. We filmed an episode in Mendoza, where we can see [The Andes](http://justfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/andes.jpg) and boy, I cried. I have no shame to tell you that. When I saw the mountains, Sansa, I cried. There was just something about it. The beauty of it left me wonderstruck. It is truly mind-blowing.” 

“That’s cute. Your eyes are sparkling and I want to go there right now.” 

She poked at his arm, and he looked into her eyes. 

“Maybe someday I’ll take you there.” 

“Yeah. I’d love that.”

Jon stood up and offered his right hand to help Sansa get up. Not that it was necessary, but he was longing to touch her again since they hugged. 

“Come on. You wanted me to show you the city, so let’s go. It’s spring, the roses at the _Rosedal_ are screaming in colour.” 

She took his hand and, for the first time since they met, she let Jon be in control.   
  


Happily, the tube wasn’t crowded and they could sit. The journey to the Rosedal wasn’t long, about 30 minutes and they would get there. Jon told her that the park was placed in Palermo, a nice and rich neighbourhood. When they got out of the station, Sansa was mesmerized by the beauty of the buildings. There was green everywhere; trees and parks and everything just seemed so _lovely._ She slowed down her pace; Jon noticed, but didn’t say anything. He waited for her. 

Sansa couldn’t help but gasp when she saw the entrance to the [Rosedal](https://live.staticflickr.com/3117/5850631332_698f50a200_b.jpg). It was huge, there were flowers all over the garden. Different kinds of flowers - bright red roses, white daisies, pinky tulips. 

“They say there are more than eighteen thousand of roses in here”, Jon stated as she looked to the park in awe. “I don’t know if it’s true, never counted myself, you know.” 

She smiled at his attempt to make a joke. “Funny”, Sansa mocked. “Jon, it’s so beautiful! And the smell? Oh my Gods! Are we in heaven? I hope heaven smells this good.” 

“Who says you’re going to heaven?” 

“Please. I’m an angel.” 

He rolled his eyes at her statement. “Strike a pose”, Jon said as they got closer to the daisies. “I’m going to take a picture of you.” 

Jon didn’t give her time to protest as he already had his phone out of his pocket, and she loved how the flowers reflected on his white t-shirt. 

“Your favourite pastime.” 

She smiled shyly and he took one picture. After analyzing it, he said:

“Now smile like you mean it.” 

Jon must’ve known that it would make her smile with teeth, because as she was laughing, he managed to take loads of shots. 

“That’s more like it. Spontaneity.” 

Sansa rested her elbows on his shoulder as Jon showed her the pictures. All of sudden, she was overwhelmed with the feeling of peace. It had been some time since she felt like it. 

As she looked into his eyes, her gaze was deep and penetrating. Sansa knew her cheeks might be red and flushed, but she didn’t mind. There was no room for shame or embarrassment. 

“I feel like I have to apologize.” 

Jon frowned. “I believe there’s nothing for me to forgive.” 

“No, please, listen. I didn’t have to push you away. I know that, and I’m sorry. But I wasn’t ready, and you were away, and it was easy to do so.”

“What do you mean it was _easy?_ ”, he demanded, a surly tone to his deep voice. 

“Well, not easy meaning that I didn’t feel anything for you,” Sansa rushed to explain. “But it was the easy way. It was just me building up my wall to curl into my safe space again. It’s not easy for me to be vulnerable. Sometimes I still wonder what happened to me the day I met you, because that wasn’t me. No, I was cold, hard to read and extremely lonely. It was just me and the world in this journey to find myself once again.”

“It’s okay to let people in, Sansa,” Jon muttered, his breath washing over her lips and eyes flashing something that she could not unreveal. He closed his eyes, then walked towards the grass, laying on it. Sansa mirrored his actions but didn’t lay by his side. She crossed her legs and rested her back at the trunk tree. 

“I know”, she sighed. “But I still have the trauma of an abusive relationship and from the fact that my father is dead.” 

Jon grabbed her hand in support, but she did not want his pity. “I was afraid of leaving home for months. I didn’t know who I was outside of my relationship anymore. But I knew that travelling around the world was never me. No, it was my sister Arya. I just wanted to have a great career and a family. But Arya convinced me, even Mother encouraged me.” 

She felt shards of pain stab at her heart like glass, but she was not going to cry. “At the beginning, I would introduce me as Alayne. I could never say that my name, my real name was Sansa. Because Sansa, to me, was weak, and stupid and dumb.” 

“You were never those things to me”, his arms helped him seat. “Never.” 

“When I met you, I was in the middle of that journey. That’s why Rio will always be important to me. It’s where I’ve found myself. I had a few dates before you, but I guess that, with you, I panicked. You were the first person who I could see myself with. And I was enjoying so much that discovery, my freedom and everything that I was becoming. I didn’t want to be labelled again.” 

Jon smiled. “I understand.” 

He was about to say another thing, but Sansa interrupted him. “I don’t want to scare you, I’m just being honest. So I need you to be honest with me, because I only decided to come because I knew that you were still living here.” 

“There hasn’t been anyone important in my life”, he answered. “Not since you. I feel like I knew that we would still meet. I never wanted to be stuck in a happy ending, because things change. But I’d like to live through those changes with you. That was the reason that I asked you to come, and the reasons for all of my texts.” 

“See? I do have to say sorry”, she had to look away. “I never answered some of your texts.” 

“It’s okay, Sansa, it truly is”, Jon grabbed her face and his expression was soft. “I understood that you were chasing something different. If you wanted to talk to me, you eventually would.” 

He let a shaky exhale through his nose and dropped his hands from her face. Sansa closed her eyes, wishing he was still touching her.

After a few moments of silence, she opened her mouth again. “Now I feel like I’m a power couple with myself. I absolutely love us, the highs and the lows. We work hard.” 

“That’s good to hear”, he whispered. “To me, you were confident, and brave and so strong. Now I think that you’re that and so much more.” 

“Why didn’t I meet you earlier?” 

“I fear that we’ll never know.” Jon shrugged. 

She smiled. Sansa was whole and independent, she knew that now. But she had found pieces of herself in Jon. Not that he had her missing pieces, because no, he did not. It was more like he had pieces in himself that matched with her pieces. Like they were a consequence of one another. 

“But we are here now, and we exist, and there’s just so much to _live._ ” 

Sansa couldn’t agree more. 

“So let’s do it.” 

She stood up and this time, she was the one to offer her hand to help him. They wiped leaves off of their clothes, and Sansa truly smiled at him before wrapping her arms over his neck. The sensation of his hands tightening around her waist sent a thousand butterflies to her stomach. _They’re still alive,_ she thought. 

But of course they would be. That’s the very reason she had hopped into the airplane at the first chance she got. To chase the butterflies. 

  
  


The rain was pouring as Sansa woke up the next day. Feeling relaxed, she took a hot shower to warm her body. Jon had promised to take her to a few museums, including MALBA, a museum of Latin-American art. It was a thing she loved to do: getting to know the local art. 

In fact, art had always been part of her life. It was one of her favourite subjects in school, along with history. She also happened to love watching sports, especially rugby, and that was why she ended up working four years on ESPN. Her charisma reshaped the way of presenting a TV program, and Sansa quickly became the network’s number one. It was around the same time that she had met Joffrey Baratheon, an editor who happened to be a womanizer. But she ignored the rumours and fell deeply in love with him. Until he showed his true face, which led Sansa to one of the darkest moments of her life. 

It took some time to understand that she was so much more than what she had been through, and that his words didn’t define her. After all, he was a lying prick who needed to take responsibility for his actions. When he shouted at her in front of her workmates and the network didn’t move a finger to help, she knew she had to leave. That day, everything clicked. Sansa searched for help, finding comfort in her family and online forums in which she talked about her experiences with other survivors. Something special is born when women stick together. 

Sansa was pulling knots out of her curls when her stomach rumbled. She rushed to the kitchen to cook fluffy banana pancakes. It was her Father’s recipe and one of her favourite breakfast meals. It reminded her of childhood and happy mornings. 

“Fuck,” she mumbled. “Fuck, fuck, fuck”, Sansa hurried to catch her phone at the nightstand. She had completely forgotten to tell Arya that she wasn’t gonna make it to Robb’s surprise birthday party. It was happening tomorrow night, and she had promised Arya to help to organise the food and drinks. 

“Sansa! Where the fuck are you? I’ve been trying to reach you since yesterday!”, her sister exclaimed as soon as she picked up the FaceTime call. 

“I’m so sorry! I can explain!” she gave Arya an apologetic look. 

“Well, you better!” Sansa held down a laugh at her demand. Arya was fizzy and breathless, like she had been doing a thousand of things at the same time. “You know that I don’t know how to put up a freaking party by myself.” 

“Arya, please sit.” 

“I don’t like where this is going, Sansa.” 

“I’m not going to make it,” she blurted out after taking a deep breath. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Arya replied, pulling her hair into a bun. “What the hell happened? I thought you were coming back home.” 

“Do you remember Jon?”

“You won’t shut up about the guy, of course I remember him.” 

“Well, I took a plane to Buenos Aires instead of London.” 

And a wide-eyed Arya appeared. “You did not!”

Sansa closed her eyes. “I did! I arrived yesterday and we visited beautiful places. I think it’s going to be okay.” 

“You seem to be finally taking my pieces of advice seriously. I need a moment.” 

“Don’t be dramatic,” she rolled her eyes. “You know why I didn’t come with him last year.” 

“I know, but took you long enough to realize that you love him and that you deserve to be happy, don’t you think?” 

Her question lingered in the air. Sansa didn’t know if she loved Jon. She knew that she had missed him and really, really, really enjoyed being next to him, talking to him, smiling at his lame jokes. The connection made her feel at peace. 

“I don’t know that.” 

This time it was Arya who rolled her eyes, holding up a hand in front of her, as a sign to tell Sansa that she should just stop talking. “Sansa, please. Your eyes shine every time that you speak of him, you say that you feel like a stupid teenager around him and may I add that I’ve also seen that freaking video. You never looked so happy. That’s love, bitch. Even Mother says so.” 

“I can’t believe that you showed her. That’s embarrassing.” 

“No, don’t be. She was so sweet about it. She misses you dearly, we all do. But it’s good to see you happy.” 

Sansa felt her eyes watering and smiled at her phone screen. “I miss you too,” she replied, her voice cracking. 

“Don’t make me cry, you idiot. I have a party to organise.” 

“Okay,” she wiped tears from her face. “Talk me through what you have, I might be able to help you.” 

She managed to teach Arya how to make great guacamole, one of Robb’s favourite dish, and a few drinks. Bran and Rickon also popped up on Arya’s phone and seeing those faces made Sansa really happy. She couldn’t wait to give them koala hugs. 

When Jon picked her up, it was almost ten-thirty. The rain had stopped and the sun was finally coming out of the clouds, the skies welcoming a nice day. Wearing a pair of black boots, black jeans and black t-shirt, he greeted her with open arms, and Sansa delighted in his cologne. 

It should be a crime to smell _that_ good. 

“Are you sniffing me?”, he asked, furrowing his brows, a playful smile on his lips. 

“I might,” Sansa replied in a doubtful tone. 

He chuckled, letting go of her. “Want to grab something to eat?” 

“Mmmm,” she debated. “I’m not that hungry. We could go to the museum first, and then have some lunch.” 

“We could eat in Caminito,” he suggested. “It’s like a street with lots of restaurants and souvenirs. Everything’s colourful, I think you’re going to like it.” 

“Oh! I think I saw some pictures of it online. It’s cute over there, I’d love to.”

She smiled, and Job grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. Sansa was not expecting that. She could see that Jon was smirking as he put on his Ray-Ban. He seemed to be having a blast over her surprised face, and this fact made her smile grew wider. Her tiny fingers almost disappeared between his large hand, but she didn’t care. They were holding hands in Buenos Aires, no biggies. 

But it _was_ a big deal. Jon stroked her index finger as Sansa reflected on what was happening. Walking hand in hand is such an intimate and innocent gesture, and it was not like it was the first time they had done it. This time, something felt different. Her cheeks were blushing, her heart was beating fast and she never wanted to let go. She never wanted to let go of his hand, because the feeling of being so close to someone special left her alone in wonder.

She could do this for the rest of her life. 

[MALBA Museum](https://universes.art/typo3temp/assets/_processed_/6/b/csm_MALBA-javier-agustin-rojas-800-460_25be024a88.jpg) was much bigger than she was expecting and they’d spent almost 2 hours walking through the rooms. Every work of the exhibition was so rich, from Frida Kahlo to Tarsila do Amaral, to Portinari and many more. The architecture of the museum was impressive as well, with high ceilings and white marble. 

“Is there anything not to love about this city?”

“It’s pretty great, isn’t it?”, he agreed. “You’re really art-educated. I couldn’t name half of those artists.” 

“Lots of them were Brazilians,” she tried to justify. “Also, art was one of my favourite subjects in school.” 

When they arrived at [Caminito](https://www.turbuenosaires.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/caminito.jpg), Sansa was starving. The narrow street was indeed adorable, with lots of souvenirs shops and restaurants. It was adorable and full of tourists, which could be sort of chaotic, but the weather was pleasant and enjoyable, so she kept her focus there. 

They decided to sit outside of the restaurant. Two artists were dancing the Tango and, by that, giving Sansa all the chills. 

“Jon, look! The way her legs move between his, it’s so complicated but they make it look so easy!” 

“You say this because you haven’t been to an actual show of Tango,” he chuckled. “You’d probably lose your mind.”

“Let’s go tonight!” 

“I don’t think we’d find tickets by this time of the day. _Señor Tango_ is one of the best, you have to see this one.” 

“Okay, we can go another day,” she agreed. “Your Spanish is sexy.” 

Jon’s face reddened. “I didn’t say anything.” 

“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed,” she laughed. “But, for real, can you order our lunch in Spanish?” 

“I can, yes. I’ve learnt the basics, you know,” she opened her mouth to speak, but Jon kept talking. “But they understand English, there’s no need for such embarrassment.” 

“Oh, _please,”_ Sansa pleaded like a child.“You _have_ to do it!” 

Jon rolled his eyes, sighing deeply, then opened the menu. “The things I do for you…” 

Sansa almost squealed, licking her lips and paying attention very closely. Jon looked at her, his eyes questioning. “Oh, I’ll have whatever you’ll do. Get us something local.” 

After Jon motioned for the waiter, he arrived at their table, took a notebook out of his apron pocket, and Sansa never looked so excited in her life. The anticipation was killing her, and Jon enjoyed how amused she was. 

_“Disculpe”_ , she cracked a smile and he couldn’t help but chuckle. _“Nos gustaría ordenar un bife de chorizo a punto, por favor.”_

_“Bebida?”_

_“Sí, una botella de vino tinto.”_

The waiter nodded, then left. Sansa had a big, wide smile on her face. 

“Okay, you’re amazing,” she managed to say, and Jon looked at her suspiciously. “You speak so fast! Still to these days, I can’t speak Portuguese as fast as you can speak Spanish, and that’s something.” 

“Sansa, your Portuguese is just fine,” he shook his head as he spoke. “I had to be a fast learner because when we were shooting the program, we had to speak to a lot of locals,” Jon explained, and she nodded.

“I see,” she quirked a brow. “Now translate, _por favor._ ”

“I ordered us red wine and a steak of chorizo, which is basically beef tenderloin, only much better,” Sansa smiled in response. “In most places, they offer enchiladas as an appetizer as well.”

“I love enchiladas,” he nodded, a sweet smile playing on his lips, and suddenly she wanted to kiss every spot of his face. 

The meal went smooth and was comfortable, even though the food didn’t taste that good. Jon agreed with her, but promised that the dinner served during the show at _Señor Tango_ would be really tasty. 

“Jon, it’s okay. You don’t have to start brooding,” she offered, bumping into his right arm on purpose. “It’s not your fault.”

“But I told you it was delicious… And it wasn’t.”

“Again,” she remarked. “Not your fault.” 

“The wine was good, though.” he pointed out. 

“Oh, it was _delicious,”_ Sansa emphasized. This one time, she reached for his hand. Jon took it, caressing her palm with his forefinger. 

“Want to catch the sunset somewhere nice?” 

“You know me so well.” she teased, making Jon smile.   


Jon took her to [Puerto Madero](https://photo980x880.mnstatic.com/1c/2c/1c2ca6c87807a9aec4b031f4b63c2d4f.jpg), a nice pier. Sansa could tell the place was elegant, with fancy restaurants at the whole extension. All over the pier, there were tiny benches, adorable kids and lots of families enjoying the day. They walked to the bridge, called [Puente de la Mujer](https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/puente-de-la-mujer-at-sunset-buenos-aires-argentina-picture-id675900246?s=612x612), and Sansa could sense that Jon was choosing his words very cautiously. 

“This was the first place I remembered of when you told me all those things yesterday,” he started, running his hand through his black curls. “I wanted to show you that painting.” 

He pointed at the other side of the bridge, where [rounded silos structures](https://res.cloudinary.com/dqzqcuqf9/image/fetch/ar_16:10,q_auto,w_auto,dpr_3.0,c_fill,f_auto/https://d2u3kfwd92fzu7.cloudfront.net/asset/cms/Barbara_Kruger_Art_Basel_Cities_Buenos_Aires.jpg) painted in blue and white were shown. At the front of those structures, Spanish words were painted. Sansa could understand some of it because it was similar to Portuguese. Because of that, she understood that it was a feminist intervention. 

“It says: you can’t live without us, power, pleasure, property, equality, empathy, independence, doubts, belief, and women. Who owns what?”, Jon explained. “Barbara Kruger.” 

“It’s amazing,” Sansa wondered. “I like that the first line works with the last one. _You can’t live without us: women,”_ she repeated. “And the question will surely make people think.”

She shot a look at Jon, who was paying attention to what she was saying. Sansa mouthed a thank you, and he kissed her forehead. At that moment, she felt love, so much love. Sansa never wanted to leave. 

“You’re remarkable, Sansa,” he said, looking into her eyes, in a husky voice that clicked lightly from a dry mouth. “I’m glad that you’ve found yourself.” 

Her hands found his mussed hair, gently pulling the strings behind his ears, and then she feels his large hands on her back, and everything had never been this okay. The message comes bright and clear, loud as the birds singing in the morning. 

She loved him. 

Sansa loved Jon, and loved how he always sent shivers up and down her spine. She loved Jon, and loved how they connected. She loved Jon, and loved how he had waited for her. She loved his smile, his jokes, the way he walked with the hands in his pockets, how he seemed to be always fighting with his hair. She loved Jon, and loved to love him, in the simplest way there is. 

Because what they had was easy, and natural, and simple.

“Thank you for saying this,” she whispers, letting go of his grip and looking him in the eye. Her heart jumped through her shirt. “I’m glad we found each other.” 

They watched the sunset in silence, and Sansa almost cried when his phone rang. It was work. Something about the final touches of editing, and they needed his opinion. She could feel in his deep breaths that he didn’t want to go either, but duty was calling. 

She encouraged him to go. “Jon, it’s okay. You should go, it’s work.”

“But I don’t want to,” he protested. 

“I don’t want you to go either,” Sansa agreed. “But tomorrow you’re taking me to a fancy dinner and we’re going to watch a show with lots of Tango. They say it’s one of the best.” 

There was not a thing in this world that Jon loved more than being teased by her. 

Sansa was really excited to see the show. She really wanted to go to Señor Tango. Most of anything, she wanted to share a special night with Jon. That was why she had been drinking tea all day. She woke up feeling like shit, her throat was hurting and she was pretty sure she had a fever. 

_Damn it,_ she thought as she unlocked her phone to inform Jon. 

**Sansa:**

I can’t believe I’m actually typing these words but I’m not feeling well. :( Just wanted to let u know that I probably won’t make it tonight. :( :( :( 

_How desperate._

**Sansa:**

:( 

u still can come over if u want to hang out with a shitty version of meself hehe we can say fuck off to this fever and everything, js  


Locking her phone, she forced herself to get out of bed to take a cold shower. The fever had to fucking break. Sansa hated feeling like this. She did her homework. Eat healthy, exercise, the whole thing. To be ill on the night of a much-anticipated date was the biggest bummer that ever existed in the world of bummers. 

After the shower, she changed to clean and comfy clothes. When she was about to start brushing her wet hair, she heard the sound of a notification. 

**Jon:**

That’s a bummer. Be there in a few minutes tho. I wouldn’t miss your fever sweat. I bet you never looked this good. 

Son of a bitch. 

**Sansa:**

Yes, I do look sexy. Brace yourself. 

(you’re literally the worst)

when u arrive just press 96 and i’ll open the gate for u

She opened the door for him in leggings and a black hoodie. He checked her out, raising his eyebrows. 

“Very sexy indeed,” he said, a sarcastic tone to his voice. 

“Oh, _fuck off,_ ” Sansa replied, moving to her left to give him space to enter the apartment. 

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling better, actually. Took a shower and I guess the fever decreased. I’m making ginger tea, would you like some?” 

“Guess I’ll pass,” he had a disgusted expression on his face that made her laugh. 

“It’s surprisingly good,” she protested. “You’re missing out.” 

“I brought you something.” 

Sansa had expectant eyes. “Carry on…” 

Jon handed her a little brown-box with a half-smile. She opened the box only to let out a substantial gasp. “Lemon cakes!”

“They’re your favourites, aren’t they?”

“You remember!” she cried. “I guess they won’t be good to my sore throat but who cares. It’s lemons cakes!”

“I hope it makes you feel a little bit better,” Jon shrugged, and Sansa moved to give him a side hug. 

“Thank you,” she squeezed her hand around his arm. “I love it. So thoughtful.” 

He followed her to the kitchen. “The apartment is nice. Kind of reminds me of home.” 

“Really?”, she replied, genuinely intrigued. “You had an apartment this big in London?” 

“Well, not this big,” he clarified. “I meant the colours and decoration. And I actually lived in Newcastle.” 

“Up in the North you go,” she offered a smile. “I always supposed you were a Londoner.” 

Jon gulped. “Oh god,” he held a hand in the air. “Don’t be rude.” 

“Don’t be dramatic,” Sansa snickered, pouring the tea into a mug. “You told me that you used to work in London, I only assumed.” 

_“Only,”_ he murmured, looking rather frustrated. “I won’t hold it against you.”

“Good,” she smiled, passing through his figure to sit on the sofa. “Because us northerners should stay together.” 

An amused smile appeared on her lips, confusing Jon. “Us?”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “Us. My whole family is from York. We moved to London when I was about 5.” 

“Full of surprises,” Jon said as he threw himself by her side. “Do you miss it?” 

“Home?”, she questioned, and Jon nodded. “I do.” 

“Me too.” 

“So what are your plans? After your contract is over, I mean.” 

He didn’t answer right away. “I was thinking Vancouver.” 

“Oh my gods, you really like the cold,” she shook her head. “Unbelievable.” 

“Shut up and drink your tea,” Jon commanded with a smile on his face.

Looking indignant, Sansa drank the liquid in almost one go. She was feeling better just by his presence, which was absolutely ridiculous. But she wasn’t complaining. It meant that she could spend quality time with Jon, with whom she was very much in love with. 

After a few moments, she asked, “What is your favourite Queer Eye episode?”

“Queer Eye?”, he looked really confused. 

“You really never heard of it?” Jon shook his head. “You are no fun! It’s a makeover show. But it’s not your regular makeover tv show, no! There are five gay guys and they usually makeover straight men. It’s sweet and funny. Probably will make you cry.” 

“I doubt it.” 

“You wanna bet?”, Sansa challenged him. 

“Okay,” he agreed, raising his left brow. “What do you want from me if you win?”

 _Lots of things. Your mouth on mine would be a great start, actually,_ Sansa thought. She said another thing instead. “You have to sing Britney Spears for me.” 

“Fucking hells, you’re always putting me on the spot,” Jon whined and rolled his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he agreed. “Deal,” he offered his hand, and Sansa quickly shook it. “If I win, _you_ sing Britney Spears for me.”

“It’s settled, then.” 

She turned the TV on and pressed play on the first episode of the first season. She remembered bawling her eyes out watching that episode. Tom was absolutely sweet and deserved all the happiness in the world. Sansa loved the fact that he was open to changes and how he connected with all the Fab 5. 

“Bobby is underappreciated,” she stated as the house transformation appeared on the screen. “He fucking nails it!” 

“He surely does,” Jon agreed, focused on what was happening on the TV. “Look at that backyard!” 

“Amazing, truly amazing.” 

Tom was thanking the Fab 5 when Sansa heard a sniffle. Smiling, she reached for his arm to comfort him, and simply said: “Don’t sniffle back your tears, Jon. Let it out, baby. Just let it out.” 

“Jesus fucking christ,” he sighed. “I was not expecting _that.”_

Soon enough the episode ended, and Sansa slowly turned her body towards Jon, crossing her legs in front of him. 

“So,” she started. “Do you want me to help you move the furniture?” 

“That won’t be necessary,” he faked modesty, rolling his eyes as he got out of the sofa. “I’ll do an acoustic set for you.” 

“But -”, she tried to complain, but he was not having any of it.

“You said _sing Britney Spears,”_ Jon emphasized. “I’m going to sing.” 

“Okay,” she surrendered. “You got the moves, but whatever floats on your boat, mate.”

Jon moved to sit across her, over the centre table. For a moment he stood silent, deciding on which song to sing. He cleared his throat for several moments, then started. 

_“_ _Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know that something wasn't right here?”_ , he sang, his voice thick and out of tune and Sansa squealed, throwing her head back in disbelief. He suppressed a laugh, then continued: _“Oh baby, baby, I shouldn't have let you goOoO… And now you're out of sight, yeah”_

“Yeah, give me all of the melismas,” Sansa giggled, encouraging him. Jon started to play air guitar, and Sansa kind of lost it. 

_“Show me how want it to be,”_ he pleaded in a deep voice. _“Tell me, baby, 'cause I need to know now, oh, because! My loneliness is killing me”_

He offered her the mic, which was nothing more than the tv remote. _“And IIII!”_

 _“I must confess, I still believe,”_ he smiled as he offered her the mic once again. 

Between laughs and a very bad falsetto, she sang it right back at him. _“I still believe!”_

 _“When I'm not with you I lose my mind,”_ Jon went down on his knees, begging her. _“Give me a sign, and hit me, baby, one more time!”_

Sansa laughed, and laughed and laughed. He was clearly smitten. Grabbing his face between her hands, she touched his forehead with her own and closed her eyes. “Bold choice of song. It truly is the best declaration I’ve ever received.” 

His hands found the crook of her neck, where they should never have left. “Is this my sign?” 

She could feel his smile sending electricity through all of her body. _“Boy, you got me blinded,”_ she murmured in her singing voice, opening her eyes. 

It was all there. 

They didn’t need fancy dinners to know what they felt. 

His dark grey eyes held everything that she’s ever wanted. The certainty of wanting to add and evolve, of wanting to share meaningful little moments, of being happy together. Everything was mutual. So, labelling herself was no longer an issue. Never before had a label sounded so liberating. They would go on like this, free to be, or cease to be, whatever they wanted.

“Let’s go home,” he suggested, leaning closer, and she smiled, never been so certain. 

“Yes.”

It’s a simple word, just a whisper, and then his lips are on hers. 

The grand opening of a new start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... boom! Sansa didn't follow Jon to Buenos Aires. But looks like they've made it!   
> Yes, Jon does anything that Sansa asks him to. He's just that smitten. ;)  
> I hope I've made Buenos Aires justice and that you guys enjoyed the chapter. This is a bit more angsty (can't help myself, sorry!), but mostly fluff. I think we all deserve it.  
> Thank you for reading and leaving comments. It makes my day!
> 
> Again, English is not my first language and this is not beta read, so if you notice anything strange, that's on me. Find me on tumblr - I'm sansastarkw! 
> 
> Things get a little wild in Barcelona... Hope to see you there!


	3. Barcelona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brings a three-year jump! Things get a little wild in Barcelona as Sansa plans to surprise Jon. Brace yourself, smut/fluff is coming. :)

Sansa takes her time waking up. Laying on a hotel bed, the feeling of the soft mattress beneath her body reminded her of being hugged by your loved ones. She searched for Jon’s hands, resting in the middle of her breasts, his arm wrapped up on her slim waist. Intertwining their fingers, she thought that she might never get used to waking up on his arms. It’s been three years since they’d decided to be together, and still, Sansa can’t shake the feeling of happiness. 

Waking up next to Jon felt like heaven. That is, it’s much more satisfying than laying on expensive hotel mattresses. 

That’s why, for their 3 year anniversary, she suggested a little getaway to Barcelona. Back in college, Sansa had the opportunity to visit the city for the first time and fell completely in love with it. The city was welcoming, warm, and incredibly fun. It wasn’t easy to have a few days free from work - Sansa had opened a martial arts club with Arya, and Jon was booking more and more projects on cinematography. They had a crazy routine, but could happily manage to take 4 days to celebrate their love and history together. They had arrived late last night, had dinner and then went to bed, too tired to leave the hotel room. Jon agreed to wake up early the next day, but that was a whole new task. He hated waking up before 9 a.m. 

Sansa rolled on the bed, turning on her side to face him. She placed her hand on his cheek, giving it a little squeeze at the same time that her leg wrapped his hip, bringing him closer. She started to give soft kisses all over his face, trying to wake him up in a loving way. But all that Jon gave her was a low mumble. Sansa chuckled, her nails tugging into his scalp.

“Jon,” she whispered. “It’s time to wake up.” He mumbled words that she couldn’t figure out, then tightened his grip on her waist. Sansa traced the features of his face, touching his eyebrows, nose, and mouth. Her thumb played with the lower lip and she was thankful that those were her lips to kiss and taste and savour. At this point in her life, she was grateful for many things, but the fact that she was the one to kiss Jon Snow’s lips whenever she wanted was on the top of her list. 

Overwhelmed by this realization, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him close. Still, with his eyes closed, he held her back. Her red hair met his black curls and they stayed tangled for a few moments. 

“Let’s get out of bed, love,” she tried again. “We’re gonna miss breakfast.” 

She could hear his light laugh on her neck, his warm breath making her shiver. He kissed her there then, open-mouthed and full of bad intentions. Sansa let out a low blow, her body aware where this was going, and completely accepting it. His hands fell from her waist to cup the curve of her ass, squeezing and then stopping at her hip bone. His grip was firm and Sansa relented on how amazing it was the feeling of being at his mercy. She tried to roll over to be on top, but Jon was faster to do so. 

“I guess so,” he replied as she wrapped her legs on his waist to bring him even closer. She moaned when his morning bulge pressed against her clit, and Jon chuckled, raising one brow. “But you don’t mind, do you?” 

She grabbed him by the neck, slightly biting his chin and then catching his lips with her own as he continued to create a delicious friction between them. Jon’s large hands found the skin beneath her silk pyjamas and cupped her breasts. Sansa felt her pussy throb in need, so she searched for the stripe of his grey sweatpants, bringing it down to free his cock. Jon hated to sleep in boxers, and at this very moment, she was very glad. 

She stroke him slowly, making him groan in pleasure. Jon pushed her panties to the side, using his thumb to make circular movements around her clit. Sansa bit her lower lip, moaning deeply with her eyes closed. His fingers played with her entrance, but she was having none of it. She wanted to feel his cock inside of her. He quirked a brow at her impatience, guiding his cock to her pussy. His lips found her neck once again as he slid into her. Jon moved slowly, fucking her lusciously deep. Sansa helped him push even deeper as she put her legs on his shoulders, the feeling of being full of Jon gloriously delighting. 

As he fucked her the way that she loved in the morning, she relished in the fact that she could do this for the rest of her life. Jon buried his face on the crook of her neck, the sounds that were escaping his mouth with his rapid breath sending her to heaven. He sucked on her lobe, and Sansa reached her orgasm. She whined near his ear as her hands found his butt, pushing him inside of her a few more times until he found his release. 

Jon brought his hand to her knee, bringing it down off of his shoulders. Sansa kept her eyes closed, breathing heavily beneath his chest. His palms now caught her cheek and he smiled at her expression. She opened her eyes only to smile back at him, pulling some strings of his hair behind his ear. Jon closed the small distance between them, kissing her passionately. It was sloppy as they were still trying to catch their breaths, but Sansa didn’t mind. She loved him to pieces, and that was enough. 

“Good morning,” he said as her fingers traced his hairline delicately. “Now, let’s get ready for breakfast.”

Sansa laughed at his words. Jon pulled out of her, getting rid of his sweatpants and laying only on his white t-shirt beside her. She took a moment to look at her situation. He had screwed up her silky pyjama blouse, the shoulder strap placed near the curve of her elbow, exposing one of her breasts. Sansa straightened herself, but gave up on this idea, realizing that she most needed a bath to recompose herself. 

She got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom, getting out of her pyjamas in the way to tease her boyfriend. Jon raised his brow as she swayed her hips and looked at him with a sheepish smile over her shoulder. 

“We should get clean first,” she gasped when she felt his arms embrace her from behind, letting a joyful laugh linger in the air. She kissed her cheek, guiding her to the bathroom in easy steps. “I’ll run a bath.” 

“Sounds lovely,” he agreed. “Let me help you.”   


  


  


When they stepped out of the hotel lobby, the air was a little mild. It was the beginning of autumn, so the temperatures were mostly very pleasant. [Parc del Laberint D’horta](https://ak.jogurucdn.com/media/image/p25/place-2014-12-9-6-Parcdellaberintdhorta6a076a469539e5c43709b6abc243c545.jpg) was on their itinerary today. Jon had looked up when they were back in their house in Liverpool and it was one of the oldest parks in the city, usually out of the tourist zone. It had a box-hedge maze who seemed to be a lot of fun to get lost inside, especially if you were with somebody that you really enjoyed to be with. 

Sansa knew that this was one of the most important things in this relationship - how much they adored to be with each other. It had all started with great conversations and laughs that make your belly hurt. Being with Jon had this lightness that she could never put into word, but only feel deep in her bones that she had found her place in this world. In the past year, she had moved in with Jon, which brought a whole new spectrum to their relationship. The man was stubborn as hell and created piles of stuff around the house - his “organised mess”, as he liked to call it, only it was everything but organised -, which annoyed Sansa. She had to ask him almost every week to sort his mess out, and he eventually did it, just not ever when Sansa wanted. He had his own timing, and she was learning to deal with it. Jon always seemed to make up for her, when he offered to do the dishes, her least favourite housework, or when he provided her mind-blowing sex. Truly, she had never been in a relationship which sex was really this good. Hence, she was mostly smiling. 

They had a routine, but she never got bored of being with or doing things with him. Jon mostly worked from home while she was out from the majority of the day, but they had their tricks to not let the relationship fall into a monotonous routine. Sometimes, Jon would appear on the gym and grab her to a Muay Thai class, much to Arya’s own entertainment, because Sansa really sucked at it, but it was fun so she just didn’t care how silly she must look like. Sometimes, Sansa would work part-time from home, for a change. 

Jon didn’t come up with many surprises, knowing that Sansa kind of hated it, but he had ways of making her feel special. It was the little things, like setting the mood with her favourite album for when she gets home, running a bath and leaving lovely notes on the refrigerator. And, of course, learning to cook lemon cakes just to please her. 

As they walked around the park with their hands intertwined, Sansa knew that she was making the right decision. Tomorrow they’d have a nice dinner to celebrate their anniversary, and Sansa was going to propose. It had been an easy task hiding the small velvet box from him, as he didn’t often go through her suitcase, packing one for himself. She had discussed this a lot with her own mind, Arya and her mother. It wasn’t ordinary, but none of their whole relationship was ordinary. Sansa knew that what they shared was beyond special, and that marriage added a new level to the relationship, but she was certain that they were ready to this step. 

It was serious, important and solid. And she wanted to make it official. She couldn’t care less that she was the one proposing. Sansa followed him to Argentina - one year later, but she still did it -, for God’s sake. Proposing seemed easy after that, because she knew that Jon loved her just as much as she loved him. 

The park had cute little benches in front of the maze and Sansa was sitting there, waiting for Jon. He had left to buy them ice-cream from a truck that was parked nearby. 

“You look beautiful when you’re lost in thought,” he said, waking her up from her plans to, you know, proposing to the man of her life. Jon had an amused smile on his lips, and Sansa looked at him like he held the sun. He sat by her side, giving her the ice-cream. 

Sansa licked the top of it, humming in satisfaction. “It’s  _ so  _ good!” 

“It’s chocolate-mint ice-cream,” Jon chuckled, watching her carefully. “I know it’s not that good.” 

“You’re basic, Jon,” she stated with teasing eyes. “Your favourite is vanilla. You don’t get to judge my choice of flavour.” 

“I’m so glad you’re putting your Spanish in practice,” Sansa offered when they finished eating the ice-cream. “It’s a big turn-on, you know.” 

“Sansa,  _ please _ ,” Jon looked at her horrified and she laughed at his expression. “We’re in public. It’s 2 in the afternoon!”

“Oh, don’t pretend to be a prude,” she rolled her eyes. “Actually, I don’t think I ever told you that the moment you spoke Spanish in front of me back in Argentina, I knew I was fucked.” 

“Is that so?” Jon asked, raising his right brow, the scar above it catching Sansa’s attention. She loved it even more when Jon told her how he got it: he was chasing the school bus when he was a teen, desperate not to miss his geography test. 

“Yeah,” she assured, getting closer to him and stretching her legs above of his own. “That was the moment I decided to let go of all my fears to be with you. I guess it was a moment of epiphany while you ordered us wine and a piece of rubbish meat.” 

He laughed at the memory. “You’re one of a kind, sweetheart,” she smiled and leaned in to give him a soft peck. “I’m so lucky.”

“I love that you’re the cheesy one,” Sansa said, their foreheads still touching. “I’d say I’m pretty romantic, but you’re a tough competition.” 

“I only state facts, baby,” Jon whispered, his thumb creating cool patterns on the side of her neck. “And it’s common knowledge that I’m in love with you.” 

She kissed him properly this time, not giving a damn that they were in public. The park wasn’t really packed, only a few people here and there, and they were kind of isolated from them. His tongue traced her lips, asking for entrance, and she easily gave him. Sansa was serious when she said that she was never going to get used to kissing him. His lips tasted like pillow mountains. They were soft and applied just the right pressure, his tongue knew the way that she liked to be explored, and kissing Jon was an activity that she would gladly spend her whole life mastering. 

She catched his lower lip between her lips, biting for a bit and then releasing it. He smiled, and she gave him a few pecks, finishing the kiss. 

“I love you, Jon,” she said, staring at his soft eyes. “And I love us. It came out of the blue, I was not expecting it, you weren’t either, but I’m glad that we met.” 

“I am glad that you let me through your walls, too.” 

Sansa nodded, leaning in to lay her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes when his arms wrapped her, resting by her waist. His other hand searched for hers, locking their fingers. In comfortable silence, they watched an adorable family with little kids on a picnic near the fountain. The mother looked tired as did the father, but their smile could illuminate the whole city when they heard the sound of their children’s laughter. 

_ We could have this _ , Sansa thought.  _ He just has to say yes, and I’ll put a ring on it. _

A small dog caught the corner of her eye, and she squealed for a bit. “Oh, Jon, look at her! I miss Lady and Ghost!” Sansa exclaimed. “I will kill Arya if she’s not taking good care of them, I swear that I will.” 

Jon followed the trail of the little puppy around the garden and smiled to himself, remembering the time that they had decided to adopt Lady and Ghost. Arya’s dog, a huge husky called Nymeria, had given birth to 9 puppies. She sent them photos of the brood, and Sansa fell immediately in love with Lady and Jon, with Ghost. They had grown up to be huge beasts, loved to be outside and made a mess out of their backyard. 

“Arya’s just fine,” Jon bet. “Nymeria is the one who must be disturbed with the two of them.”

“They are little angels, Jon, how dare you say that they are disturbing Nymeria,” Sansa scoffed for a moment, and Jon could swear that she was serious. But then she blurted out a laugh, making him roll his eye out of annoyance. 

“Anyway,” he emphasized, trying to bring the focus back to their doggies. “They will be fine, it’s only four days and I’m sure Arya is going to pamper them a lot.” 

“I hate how you’re right about this,” Sansa said between a soft laugh. “Arya can be tough around people, but she loves dogs above everything else. She completely adores you, though,” she pointed out, suddenly thoughtful. “What did you do?” 

“I can’t help it,” Jon teased. “I’m too nice for my own good.” 

“I’m being serious!” she rose her head to look at him. Jon had a mischievous smile on his perfect thick lips. “I never cared to ask her how come you’ve gotten so close over the past months. I’m genuinely curious.”

“I guess it was the training,” Jon explained. “Turns out, I’m a great fighter.” 

“Okay,” Sansa gave him a suspicious look, biting her lower lip. Jon pulled her long arms and placed them around his waist, wrapping her body in another hug. He kissed the top of her head. “So much PDA today… I dig it.” 

“You love it and you know it,” Jon smiled, kissing her cheek now. “Let’s go for a walk down the beach.” 

Sansa nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “Something about you and beaches that bring me happiness…”   
  


The next day, they hit the [Festes de La Merce](https://www.google.com/search?q=Festes+de+La+Merce&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij-rbMtYPkAhV9GLkGHSxSAtIQ_AUIESgB&biw=1366&bih=625), a Catalan festival who happened to be the city’s biggest street party. Full of tradition, the festival was held to celebrate the Mediterranean culture, with lots of attractions, such as Gigantes y Cabezudos, which were those really huge, giant dolls. Different activities happened at the same time around the city, including street art, exhibitions, music concerts and traditional dances. But the biggest spectacle was held by the end of the festival, with a beautiful firework show. 

“Oh my Gods,” Sansa pointed out at a group of people trying to do a human pyramid. “How do they even get to do that?” 

“That’s the [Diada Castallera](https://d1bvpoagx8hqbg.cloudfront.net/originals/festas-de-la-merce-0981c7a3f0f57ea15b17869a48cb2707.jpg) contest,” Jon said, after following the direction that Sansa’s forefinger was pointing at. “They have to stay put in pyramids and the most creative, balanced and harmonious wins.” 

“So it’s like cheerleading, but much better,” she chuckled. “Where did you get all this info?” 

Jon showed her a flyer that explained the origin of the festival. “I actually read these things.” 

“Good for us then,” she smiled, walking towards an art exhibition and pulling him by the hand. The street was a bit crowded, so Sansa had put her side bag in front of her body. 

They noticed every little booth, there we independent artists everywhere. Sansa got a bit out of hand with souvenirs, pins to decorate her backpack and magnets to their fridge. Jon had started this habit of buying a magnet in every city they’ve been to together. Needless to say that the fridge was a colourful mess, but Sansa loved how it showed exactly who they are. Jon, on the other hand, focused on buying cool prints to hang on the walls of his office. Sansa gave an opinion or two when Jon asked her, but she didn’t see the point in it as he would buy the exact opposite of what she suggested. She loved that the festival was a perfect place to gather different types of people, disregarding age, gender or nationality, the surroundings were filled with happiness.

They had gelatos for lunch and suddenly she felt like she was 23 again, young, lost and insecure about her life decisions, but trying to enjoy the ride the best way she possibly could. Resting her head on Jon’s chest as they stand beneath a sunblind, Sansa let out a breath of relief for the life that she had at the very moment. She had a great job that didn’t keep her locked in an office during most of the day, a nice house and a lover that made her feel like she was the luckiest woman on Earth. 

Jon had his arms wrapped around her waist, his thumb tracing spiral patterns on her hip bone. “What do you think would happen if you didn’t catch me singing to Tiny Dancer in the middle of your room at that hostel?” 

“I don’t know,” her question had caught him off guard. “I guess I would just spend all my days in Rio at the beach. I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be as fun as they were.”

Sansa tilted her head to look at him through her black sunglasses. “I’m a great guide.” 

“You are,” he agreed after taking a moment to ponder. Sansa laughed at his fake attempt. “Why do you ask?” 

“Just thinking about the past years of my life and how I’m glad that it got me here,” she smiled at him, her lips curving softly upwards as her hands caressed his chest. “Nothing much.” 

“Important dates leave us nostalgic,” he put his hand above of hers, and the other travelled to touch her face. His palms were firm, but pressed against her skin very delicately. “Thank you for organising this trip for our anniversary.” 

Sansa closed her eyes and nodded, still wearing a soft smile on her lips. She gasped when Jon’s lips touched hers briefly. And again, and again, and again. He kissed her lips, then her cheeks, her forehead and her chin, his beard tickling her face and making her laugh fill the air of the little bubble of love they shared. 

“What can I say,” she said, her nose touching his. “I’m very fond of you.”  
  


Jon stared at the elaborate costumes storming the streets in awe as they looked for a spot to sit and wait for the firework show. It was amazing how they put so much effort into it, the costumes were really out of this world. 

“I wonder how much they cost,” Jon offered, still looking at some of the costumes. “They look so expensive.” 

“I know!” she exclaimed, excited to talk about it. “It’s got so many details and different kinds of fabric. Truly an inspiration for my sewing.” 

“Speaking of it,” Sansa pushed her hair up in a bun and Jon seized the opportunity to deposit a light kiss on the crook of her neck. “When are you starting your clothing brand?”

Jon had always encouraged her to start her own business, clearly astonished by the pieces of clothing that Sansa could produce and sew for herself and sometimes for him. She was grateful to have a supportive man by her side, but still felt insecure about her skills. 

“I don’t know. Things have been great with the gym and everything.” 

“Yeah, but is Marketing one of your passions?” Jon let the question linger on the air as he straightened his jacket. “Don’t get me wrong, baby, but I don’t see your eyes shine as much as they do when you show me one of your new creations.” 

“I mean, I don’t hate it,” she begins, trying to formulate a sentence that would make sense to him. “It’s in my professional area, and I get to be near my family after spending many years apart. You know that Arya moved to Liverpool just to start The Pack Fighting Club.” 

“You don’t have to stop managing the club with her,” he elaborated his thoughts. “But you could accomplish other things while doing so.” 

Smiling softly, he took one of her hands between his, his thumb leaving a sweet mark of affection in the middle of her palms. Sansa knew that Jon was only suggesting out of love, and she thought it might be the right time to think about this idea with more seriousness. 

“I’m going to think about it when we get back home, promise,” Jon smiled and nodded, stretching his neck to search for a spot. The square that held the fireworks were really crowded as the sunset offered his own ridiculously-beautiful show. Orange and pink took over space above them, painting one of the most unforgettable sights Sansa could testify. 

“I guess we’ll have to watch it on our feet,” Sansa shrugged, pouting for a little bit. They were tired of exploring the streets during the day, but the firework show would be a great distraction for the proposal. The clock was ticking, and she was getting nervous.

It didn’t take long for the sky to turn black, sparkly stars taking over the place. After a few moments, the show started and Sansa was immediately captivated by it; Looking up, different shapes of fireworks worked in the sky: red hearts, golden stripes, green spirals. She didn’t normally like fireworks because of the noise - it would scare Lady and Ghost -, but the view was so pretty that the world seemed to go mute for a while. 

Jon alternated in checking the fireworks and catching its reflection on Sansa’s face. The light of it made her copper hair shine and popped out the colour of her lips. She was kind of sweaty and greasy, but he could only pay attention to her eyes. It seemed like they were the ones igniting the fire to the whole show. 

Feeling the heat of his gaze, Sansa retributed his stare, looking deeply in his dark grey eyes. Rounded eyes that said so much. That was when she knew she couldn’t wait for dinner.

They were sharing a special moment. The kind of moment that is so precious that you barely move, afraid of shattering it into a million pieces. 

One of those fragments of time which you will never forget. The sensations, the fire coming out of their body, the shy smiles on their lips. Right there, staring back at him, she wanted to freeze time to make sure that she was processing the instant correctly; his brows slightly raised, his eyes sparkling, the wrinkles on the corner of his eyes as he smiled at her, a string of his black curl dancing disobediently at the front of his nose. She was memorizing every little thing about it. She didn’t break eye contact as she reached for the little velvet box inside of her bag. She knew by heart what she was carrying with her during the day: a long silver necklace with four pendants: a ring, a camera, a world with a red mark on the spot of where Rio de Janeiro was placed, and a wolf. 

But then a rush of air passed through her, and all of sudden, Jon was down on one knee and a choir of “Oh my Gods!” started to come out of the mouths of the people that were nearby. 

He never had smiled this bright to her, his white teeth taking all over his face and his eyes almost disappearing because of the huge beam on his face. He mouthed a pretty  _ Marry me?, _ but that wasn’t what was meant to happen! _She_ was the one proposing! 

“No!,” Sansa shouted and Jon laughed at her reaction. He frowned at what she said next, though. “You’ve ruined everything!” 

Horrified looks from everyone near them took the place, her body red and shivering, but Sansa only looked at Jon. 

Catching the box inside of her bag and still trembling, she got down on one knee too. Jon’s pupils almost popped out of his face and peace took over her body. She managed to smile now, finding the situation kind of funny. 

“I’ve been preparing this moment for quite some time,” Sansa started, her brows quirked the way she did when she was teasing him. Jon stood right in front of her, shaking his head in disbelief, but he still wore a smile. “You will not take this away from me.” 

“Okay,” he held his blue velvet box firmly between his hands. “Please, continue.” 

“Well,” she took a deep breath, trying to rehearse mentally the words that she wanted to say. “I want to ask you to marry me, but first, I’d like to explain to you why I’ve decided to do so,” Sansa opened the box and took the necklace out of it, handing it to Jon. “First of all, there’s the ring, which isn’t the ring _ring_ , you know, I thought we’d ring-shop together. So it’s just a ring that looks like the one you loved, but lost a few years ago when we were hiking. Then you have a pendant of the world, with a red mark over Rio because, duh, that’s where we met. It’s a special place. Red because of, well, my hair that you seem to love very much. The camera represents what you are, and that little video you sent me, because it was what made me realize that I might really like you. Then we have the wolf. When we first met, you seemed like a loner and, to be fair, acted like it. I was lost by myself as well. Maybe because of your trauma, you thought that you would never find a place to belong. But you know what, Jon, you are just the sweetest person I’ve ever met, and there’s nothing out there that I adore more than to see you smile with your perfect-lined teeth. And it would occur to me, really often, that I really wanted to be a home for you. In my dreams, we would build it, piece by piece, with love and patience. A home that would be just perfect for both of us. Living with you has been really… challenging, but it surely got it printed in the biggest billboard of the world that we’re much better when we’re together. You are my family. And my family is my pack.” 

He looked at her in wonder, taking a few seconds to touch the little pendants with his thumbs. It was very quick, though, he didn’t want to miss the emotion that was coming out of her whole body. 

“Yes,” Jon said, making Sansa giggle. 

“But I didn’t ask you yet!” she protested, as he got up on his feet and pulled her to a hug. 

“You don’t have to,” Jon said, hugging her fiercely, the only way that he knew how. “Of course I want to marry you.” 

Head swirling and heart pounding, she let the tears fall freely from her eyes now. She had done it. She had proposed, and Jon had said yes. It was a big, never-let-go, five-years-of-gratitude-and-respect kind of hug. She hugged him tighter, rocking back and forth between his arms. 

“Will you marry me, though?” he asked sheepishly and she could hear the smile on his question. “Because there’s nothing I’d love more than to build a life with you.” 

Sansa tilted her head to look at him and she could spot tears on his face too. She recognised that warm smile and those gentle eyes. On his face, there were a few more laugh lines and a bit more of wisdom than when she met him. The realization filled her lungs with happiness to know that she has been a part of his life to see his changes. 

Smiling mischievously, she rolled her eyes in fake-annoyance. “Well,” she scoffed, feeling his thick arms hold her by the waist. “Finally you put a ring on it.” 

Jon threw his head back laughing, carefree and young at the peak of his adult life, and she smiled at him. People started clapping around, the firework show still going on above them. 

Soon his laugh turned back to another sweet smile. She hoped that they’d never stop smiling. 

“I’ve been planning to propose for a few months, Arya helped me and everything,” he whispered, and only Sansa could hear. She smiled, their out-of-nowhere proximity finally becoming clear to her. “I hope you like the ring.” 

He grabbed the box to slide the ring through her finger. It was delicate, a small blue sapphire stone that mirrored her eyes taking all of the attention. “I love it,” she looked at the ring, and then at him. “Thank you.” 

Sansa put the necklace on him, then pulled him to a kiss. 

His lips had never tasted this sweet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update - I got kind of stuck at the proposal scene. I hope you guys like it! See you in London, babe. ;)


	4. London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eight-year jump. A look in Jon and Sansa's married life.

“Papa!” the little girl called, catching Jon’s attention. “I want my pancakes with looooooads of honey, okay?” 

Jon turned around from the stove, raising a brow at her demand. Every morning the kitchen looked like pandemonium as the kids got ready for school. Lyanna was wearing a sparkly blue dress with a headband that made her look like a flower princess. Her red hair was a few shades darker than her mother’s, and it shined the brightest out in the sun. 

He flipped the pancakes on the pan, still looking at her. Her blue eyes popped out in surprise as she gaped, impressed at his abilities. The greatest irony is that Jon isn’t really a great cook, it was just pure luck. 

“How about loads of bananas and strawberries with a bit of honey instead?” Sansa appeared at the kitchen door holding two backpacks. Jon chuckled, waiting for Lyanna’s reproval. She was a great child, except when it came to eating fruits. She truly hated it. 

“Mum! You know that I _absolutely_ hate bananas!”, she crossed her arms and pouted. Jon suppressed a laugh, knowing that if Lyanna caught him laughing, she wouldn’t obey Sansa. 

“Lyanna, stop being dramatic. It’s not even eight in the morning,” Ned said between yawns, entering the room. “Morning, Dad.” he greeted as he sat on one of the kitchen’s stool. 

Jon didn’t have time to answer him. “Oh, shut up!” Lyanna commanded beside him.

“Hey! Language!” Sansa scolded her. “Apologize to your brother, young lady,” she demanded, but Lyanna only rolled her eyes. “Now!” 

“I’m sorry, my beloved brother,” Jon couldn’t hold back his laugh now. She was something else, his little Lyanna, and really daring. Sansa shot him a helpless look, but he could tell that she wanted to laugh as well. Instead, she approached the eight-year-old and bent down a little, so that she could look Lyanna directly in the eye. 

“Honey, you have to say it as you mean it,” she explained as Ned sighed deeply. “Don’t be sarcastic to your brother.” 

“Okay,” she answered softly, turning to her side so that she could face Ned, who rested his head above the table. “Forgive me, Ned.” 

“There’s nothing to forgive, little sister,” his voice was muffled, but Jon could still hear it from across the room. Lyanna smiled, then kissed the top of his head, slightly brushing his dark curls. 

With the corner of his eyes, Jon could see that Sansa got teary-eyed. She held her hands above her heart as she watched the scene between her children. She looked like she was about to burst out of love, then ran quickly in their direction, holding them tightly. Jon smiled, rushing to where they stood. 

“Group hug!”, he said as he embraced his bubble of happiness. They stayed like this only for a moment, before the kids said that “it was enough”. They were going through that phase in which they thought they were pretty much independent and didn’t need anyone. Jon and Sansa found that quite amusing. “Alright, breakfast is ready to fill our belly.” 

The three of them quirked a brow at his attempt to rhyme, laughing in sequence. Sansa shook her head, pulling him for a quick kiss. She smashed his face between her hands, then said, “You’re cute.” 

“Eh,” Jon shrugged as she let go of his cheeks. “I try,” she smiled, showing her perfect lined white teeth. “I prepared your yoghurt the way you like it. It’s in the fridge.” 

“Thank you, love,” she gave him another peck, then walked past him to grab the breakfast. Greek yoghurt with fresh strawberries and blueberries. She put the green bowl on the table along with the pancakes and Ned’s favourite cereal. Under her mother’s concerned stare, Lyanna decorated her pancakes with slices of bananas, a few strawberries and, of course, loads of honey. 

Jon watched the scene with a smile on his face, thanking the Gods for his life. It was not always easy, but every morning, they would sit together to eat breakfast and prepare for the day. Sansa was driving them to school today; they had different schedules and alternated between driving them to or picking them from school. Jon mostly prefered to pick them by foot, avoiding London’s traffic as much as possible. 

Sitting beside Sansa, he caught her hand underneath the black table, giving it a little squeeze. He turned his head to kiss her gently on the shoulder. She smiled at his gesture, mouthing a simple “I love you”, her lips matching the red of her hair because of the icy yoghurt. 

“And I love you,” he whispered tenderly, before chewing a piece of his pancake. Lyanna was sitting close, so she was able to hear, but looked disgusted at the demonstration of affection. 

Sansa chuckled, catching Ned’s attention. “Lya, I don’t know why you still act surprised,” he said with his mouth full of cereal. “Every morning Dad kisses Mum, or tells her that he loves her, and so does Mum. When you grow up, you’ll do the same stuff. Gross, I know.” 

“ _Please,_ ” Lyanna answered, playing with a lock of her dark red hair. “I will _never_ do this.” 

Jon raised a brow, then looked at Sansa, who was beaming. “Me neither,” Ned agreed. 

“Ooooh,” Sansa said between giggles. “We’ll see about that.” 

They still had an uncertain disgusted expression on their tiny little faces when Jon told them to brush their teeth before heading out to school. As Sansa helped him put the plates in the dishwasher, Jon seized the opportunity to talk about what had just happened. 

“Do you think we should talk to them?” Jon asked, then added to clarify, “That is normal to show affection?” 

“I guess there’s no need,” Sansa shot down his concerns. “It’s normal at this age. They’re only eight.” 

“Who said raising twins would be easy?” 

She chuckled, closing the dishwasher and letting out a heavy breath. “No one, Jon. Literally no one.” 

He still remembered vividly the day they discovered they were having twins, not long after their Barcelona getaway. Sansa freaked out; Jon did too, he was just a bit better at hiding it from her, so that she wouldn’t be even more stressed. Her water had broke during a family dinner, and the twins were born after 12 hours. Ned came first, and then only 3 minutes later, Lyanna’s cry filled the hospital room. Things got crazy with the nursery and he wished he could do more to help her as breastfeeding seemed to be extremely painful, but now Jon knows that they managed the first years pretty well. 

They had their differences, of course, but had grown up to be inseparable. Ned took pride in his “big brother” position, even if Lyanna mocked him many times in saying that he was only three minutes older than her, and therefore had no right to boss her around, or in front of her friends. She was impatient where he was calm, extrovert where he was shy, but they were both sweet and kind children. 

For that, Jon was really proud. Sansa and he had gone through a lot of things together to raise the twins, it’s not easy to educate one kid, let alone two. But, together, they had managed to do a pretty good job. Jon liked to think that. Lyanna was growing up to be really interested in filmmaking whilst Ned liked acting and poetry. They both liked art and enjoyed sharing their different visions on life - even if it meant hating maths or geography. They were passionate about doing things, especially in helping Jon prepare a surprise for Sansa’s birthday. Tomorrow, they would go out to have dinner with everyone, Lyanna, Ned, Catelyn, Arya, Robb, Bran, Sam, Grenn and Pyp. 

But first, tonight, at midnight, Jon would give her her gift. He knew that she hated surprises, but there’s something about collecting sweet messages from the ones you love the most that can never not be appreciated. Jon knew that Sansa would love it. Simple, yet meaningful. Lyanna helped him capture some of the images, telling him to put in pastel colours and flowers because _Mum really like flowers, Dad._ In the end, they both helped him when it came to editing. Jon had inserted a few clips that he’d been shooting of their daily life and the result turned out to be a beautiful 5-minute video.

Sansa had an event from work tonight, her brand had only been out in the market for nearly a year, but was becoming more famous since they moved to London. They had to leave Liverpool because Jon was booking a lot of projects in London, and Sansa was overwhelmed with the kids. She still worked with Arya at The Pack from distance but had also started her clothing brand. Because of that, she wouldn’t be home before nine p.m, which gave enough time to do a thing that Ned and Lyanna had insisted to do: cook lemon cakes to her, so they could watch the video eating Sansa’s favourite dessert. Jon could never do it without Catelyn, and was really glad when she agreed to help them. They had built a great relationship over the years; Catelyn seemed a bit suspicious about him in the beginning, but Sansa and Robb explained that she’s been overprotective since Sansa’s and Joffrey’s fallout.

“They’re really excited about this,” Jon said as they walked over the school to pick the kids. “Lyanna won’t stop talking about it, and Ned is always telling her to keep it down so Sansa won’t hear it.” 

Catelyn laughs, putting her hand over her mouth. “The kitchen keeps them entertained, and the fact that they are making something for Sansa makes it even more fun,” she replied, and with the corner of his eyes, Jon could see that she seemed to be reminiscing something. “When Sansa was a kid, she loved helping me in the kitchen, too. One day she confessed that, yes, she loved cooking, but she did it mostly so that I wouldn’t ask her to do the dishes.” 

“How cheeky!” Jon said between chuckles. 

“I didn’t rebuke her or anything, but she felt so guilty that ended up helping Arya and Robb do the dishes that day,” Catelyn’s smile met her eyes; she looked younger and happy. “When I told Ned, he wouldn’t stop laughing. There was really nothing else than he loved more than our family.”

Silence fell upon them as Jon didn’t really know what to say. Catelyn didn’t seem to be waiting for an answer, as she continued: “I’m sorry. It’s just that you remind me of him sometimes.” 

“Really?” Jon asked, raising a brow in surprise. She gave him a small nod followed by a smile. 

“Yes,” Catelyn confirmed, not giving him any further explanation. “I can see why Sansa loves you, Jon. You make life seem easy.” 

Once again, Jon found himself at a loss of words. He wasn’t expecting to be hearing any of this. “You don’t have to apologize,” he decided to be polite and told her honestly, with a side-smile. “It’s okay to miss them. I miss my mom every single day, and she had to be a mother and a father for me as well. Not that you need my approval or anything, but I know now, being a parent, that we always try to do what’s best. Sansa knows that as well.” 

“Thank you, Jon,” she smiled, and Jon let out a sigh of relief. “As a mother who has raised five children, I have to warn you that we never stop second-guessing our decisions.” 

“You don’t tell me,” they chuckled, turning the street and walking towards the school gate. 

Ned and Lyanna were delighted to see Catelyn and rushed to hug her, a huge beam taking over their faces. Catelyn’s smile mirrored them, and Jon couldn’t help but smile as well. They walked back home singing and dancing to whatever new pop song Lyanna was obsessed with. Ned was a little quieter, so as they approached the door of their house, he called his son to a quick chat at the porch. When they were alone, he said:

“Hey, kiddo, everything alright?” 

“It’s fine, dad,” he answered, but looked rather worried. 

Jon got on his knees so they would be at the same level. It was a thing that he and Sansa were used to doing; they didn’t want Ned and Lyanna to think that they were superiors. That was not the kind of parents they would be. They liked to look into their children's’ eyes as they talked to them; they were their parents, of course, but they also wanted to be their best friends. 

“You know that you can tell me anything, right?” Jon asked, putting a hand on Ned’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, we’re a pack,” the little boy answered right away, making Jon smile. “Mum always says this.” 

“We’re a pack, that’s right,” he nodded, looking into his little indigo eyes, Sansa’s eyes. “So you can tell me if you’re upset.” 

Ned seemed to hesitate for a bit, but then he took a deep breath, as if he was gathering courage. “It’s just that next week we have audition’s for a play in school and I’m nervous.” 

“Okay,” Jon pondered. “We can rehearse until then. I can help you, and I’m sure Lyanna and Mum would love to help you, too.” 

“You’d do that for me?” 

“Of course I would do that for you,” Jon scoffed, smiling at him. “So we rehearse, you go to your audition, and you give your best. Deal?” 

Jon offered his pinky, and Ned shook it. “Thank you, Dad!” 

“Alright, give me a hug,” he opened his arms to hold his oldest son. Jon laughed at the thought. Well, older by just 3 minutes, but still older. “Now let’s make lemon cakes for Mum.” 

Catelyn and Lyanna were waiting for them in the kitchen, putting all of the ingredients on the countertop. They followed Catelyn’s directions and managed to bake mini lemon cakes to Sansa. Little Lyanna had flour on her red hair and even poked at Ned’s cheek with her dirty hands, the sound of their laughter filling the air as they had the time of their lives... making lemon cakes for their mother. 

Once they were baked, Lyanna led the decoration part, making sure it had sparkly letters on each of them. Together, they formed a colourful “Happy b-day, Mama! We love you!”. Jon thought that she probably would tear up just to see this, thinking of the effort each of them had put into it. She was feeling guilty lately. Because of those events, it was more frequent to work overtime. But Jon had assured her that it was only in the beginning, until she had established her brand, and that Lyanna and Ned were proud of her. 

It was almost 8:30 when Catelyn called a cab to go home and the kids had taken a shower and a nap so they would be up at midnight. Jon had just put them to bed when his phone buzzed. He smiled at the screen.

**Sansa**

Hey, honey. Everything alright? 

**Jon**

Yeah, just put them to bed. Ghost and Lady are sleeping as well. We might have to help Ned with a rehearsal for the auditions to the school play. U ok? 

**Sansa**

He mentioned to me that they’re doing High School Musical this year :) was he nervous?

I’m ok, Margaery’s a bit hard to please but I’m trying lol 

**Jon**

He’s a bit nervous but it’s nothing serious, don’t worry, I’ve talked to him 

Do u really need this Margaery woman?

**Sansa**

Yes, she works for Vogue so it’s kinda huge

**Jon**

I’m sure you’ll do great. You’re the best. 

**Sansa**

Thank you, baby. I’ll be home soon. Wait for me!

**Jon**

Always. 

He put his phone at his bedside table, took a shower and then organised his office for the surprise. They had to hang huge golden letters with the saying of “Best Mum Ever!” above the TV. Jon connected his laptop to it so she could see the clip on a big screen. Scanning through the room, he put the lemon cakes on the centre table and turned off the lights. Walking slowly to the living room, he jumped on the couch, relaxing his muscles, and fell into slumber. 

Jon woke up with gentle hands brushing his hair and soft kisses on his face. He slowly opened his eyes only to find Sansa’s beautiful face covering his own. Well, she was a vision. 

“Hello to you,” he said, pulling her to a hug. She rested her head on his chest, wrapping her legs on his hip. 

“I said wait for me,” she whined, her voice muffled by his sweater. Jon chuckled, making her head bounce on his chest. 

“I’m sorry,” Sansa looked at him, stealing a peck. “How was it?”

“It was difficult,” she started. “But I think I got it. By the end of the event we were sharing stories about the industry, she gave me nice tips and everything.” 

“So mission accomplished?” 

“I guess so,” Sansa shrugged. “It’s nice to have contacts anyway.” 

“I don’t understand how this works, but do you know that you happen to be my favourite designer?” 

“Oooh, I would never have guessed,” she quirked a brow, then laughed at him. 

Jon loved her laugh. “Really? I thought I’d made that pretty clear last night.” 

“Oh no! My memory had failed me!” she exclaimed, teasing him. 

“Well, I could show you again,” he played her game, just like always, then kissed her. Jon took advantage of her surprised gasp to invade her mouth with his tongue. Kissing Sansa never felt old to him; every time it seemed like a new experience, and he would never get used to kissing her. He would never take her for granted. People say that a few years into marriage can make the relationship flat and that the routine made the passion ran out. But he wouldn’t let this happen. Not with them. She was Sansa, godsdamnit, the most beautiful and amazing and sexy woman that existed in the whole world. 

“You know what, _husband,_ ” she whispered, parting the kiss and panting a little. “You aged like fine wine.” 

They both laugh at her words. “Can’t get enough of me?” 

“No,” she shook her head, licking his chin, then catching his lower lip between her teeth. “I think I never told you, but at my bachelorette party Arya had these signs that said “same penis forever” like it was something terrible, but all I could think about was that your cock would serve me well for eternity.” 

She pressed her hips against his bulge, provoking him. Jon looked at her with a devilish grin on his face. 

“Well, _wife,_ he could also be a tease. “I can say that you’ve been my favourite wine since the first day I tasted you.” 

Sansa’s blue eyes darkened at his words, and Jon smiled as he turned her over and started to let a trail of wet kisses along of her body. He touched her thighs, raising her silky dress, and spread her legs. She let out a groan and he teased her, touching her everywhere but there, where she needed the most. 

“ _Jon_ ,” she muttered, sounding desperate. “We could get caught.” 

“They’re sleeping upstairs,” he whispered in return, his warm breath dangerously close to her. He could already smell her sweet scent. Jon slowly put his hands on her panties, rolling them down. 

“Still,” she closed her eyes as he kissed her inner thighs. “We could still get caugh- _Ah!”_

He licked her folds, then gently sucked on her clit, and everything else disappeared. 

Jon wasn’t expecting to have sex before the surprise but, what can he say, he can’t get enough of her. And being a parent to two kids didn’t make it easy, you could be interrupted at any moment, so they liked to seize every opportunity, you know. Carpe diem and everything. 

He laughed at his thoughts, sneaking through Lyanna’s bedroom to wake her up as Sansa’s was having a bath. It was the perfect opportunity to lead the kids down the stairs. Ned had set an alarm so when Jon entered his room he was already ready. 

The three of them travelled down the house to Jon’s office in silence, successfully suppressing the inexplicable urge to laugh-when-you’re-not-supposed-to feeling that these kinds of situation bring. Jon turned on the lights and told them to wait, he would be down with Sansa in a minute. He’d told her that he really needed her opinion on a project he was working on as he wasn’t sure of the colouring. 

She really took her time relaxing under the warm water of her bath, and Jon was laying on their bed when she got out of the bathroom. Naked, she crossed the room under his glance, then slipped under her pyjamas. Brushing her hair, she smiled softly at him. 

“Feeling relaxed, birthday girl?” Sansa's eyes searched for a clock they had by the bedside table, then smiled when she checked that it was past midnight. 

“Very much, thank you,” she replied, slightly bowing her head, and Jon laughed at her reverence. They locked their gazes as Sansa brushed her hair. When she was done, she walked in his direction. Jon took her hands and placed a kiss on her palm. Smiling at his affection, she placed a kiss on his hand too. Sansa looked at their intertwined fingers for a beat, then said: “Let’s go see that project of yours, then.” 

Jon stood up, making it to his office quickly. Lady and Ghost had followed them through the stairs. As the door opened, Ned and Lyanna screamed in unison: “Happy Birthday, Mama!” 

Sansa gasped in disbelief as they rushed towards her, wrapping their tiny hands around her hips. She knelt to hold them properly, squeezing both of them between her arms tightly. 

“I can’t believe it!” she exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. “How could you guys hide this from me?” 

“It was Dad’s idea! We only helped him because we love you,” Lyanna accused and Jon laughed, high on his daughters' honesty. 

“Look, we made lemon cakes!” Ned pointed to the centre table, earning another gasp from Sansa. Still looking by the door, Jon had the biggest smile on his face. 

“You know me so well,” Sansa closed her eyes, her words flying through the air, her happiness filling the room. She stood up and walked to the table, tearing up at the words just as Jon had predicted. “I don’t deserve you guys, thank you _so much_ ,” she said, her words cut by her tears. She opened arms eyes for another hug. 

“Don’t cry, Mommy, we want to see you smile,” Lyanna said, her voice soft as she cleared one tear-off of Sansa’s face. 

“It’s happy tears, Lya, Mum is happy,” Ned explained and Lyanna let out a sigh of relief. Sansa smiled at them, holding them even closer, then looked at Jon. Her eyes were calling him, so he went to her, sneaking through the hug. 

“You’re everything,” she thanked them again. “Everything _, everything_ to me.”

“We love you too, darling,” Jon answered, still wearing a big smile. “But we’re not done yet.” 

“You haven’t seen the best yet! Sit, Mum, please!” Lyanna nearly shouted out of excitement. As she pulled Sansa’s hand, guiding her to the couch, she continued to explain. “We helped Dad do everything! I even shot some of the clips!” 

“Shush, Lya! You’re going to ruin the surprise!” Ned reminded her. Sansa looked confused as Jon turned on the TV and pressed play on his laptop. 

“Showtime,” he said, then sat by her side. Lyanna and Ned followed him, sitting on the other side of Sansa. 

Arya’s face popped up on the big screen, and Sansa suddenly realized what this was about. Her hand covered her mouth as she began to listen to the message. 

_“Hey sis! So, Jon had this brilliant idea to surprise you and I hope you don’t kill him because this is corny but just so sweet, right?”_ she looked to her side, then back at the camera, like she had just been reminded of something. _“Lyanna is directing this shot, by the way. So, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, I’d literally not know where I’d be if it weren’t for you. I was such a bitch to you when we were young, but you never gave up on me. Thanks for always believing in me and encouraging me to do great things. I’m also really honoured to have started The Pack Fighting Club with you, our partnership only brought us closer and of course, I met Gendry. So, yeah. Win-win. I’m just trying to say that I love you and that I’m proud of you. Okay, byeeeeee!”_

When Sansa turned her face to look at him, Jon was already watching her. Tears ran freely through her delicate face now, a sweet smile on her lips. He simply mouthed an _I love you,_ and Sansa focused on the TV again. Jon caught her hands and started to caress her soft skin. Arya was now joined by Gendry. 

_“Gendry here wants to say a few words as well,”_ Arya began, and soon enough Gendry opened his mouth to speak. _“Happy birthday, Sansa! You’re a great sister-in-law. Thank you for making me feel at home since I joined the family. Wish you all the best!”_

Then, Robb’s face appeared on the screen. Sansa took a deep breath. Lyanna seemed to notice and wrapped her skinny arms around Sansa’s hips. 

_“Hello to you, little sister! You’re getting old, may the Gods help you. Anyway, ages aside, we’ve been through a lot together. Our family, I mean. And I think I never told you how much I appreciate you. You’ve always been the one who held us all together. When Dad died, you were the one putting us to sleep and brushing our hairs. And you’ve been this way your whole life, Sansa, you love to help people and that’s who you are. You’re kind and sweet, the best sister we could all ask for. Thank you for always fighting to keep the pack together. We owe you big time. Happy birthday, sis, you deserve a world of nice things.”_

The screen quickly turned to Bran and Rickon. They were living in Oxford because of UNI. 

_“Hey Sansa! Speaking directly from our university yard, we wish you a happy birthday,”_ Bran started. _“I’m really inspired by everything you do, really hope I can get to your level one day. Thank you for taking care of me and putting up with my mood. Love you!”_ he waved to the camera, then Rickon started to speak. _“Yeah, everything that Bran said,”_ he joked, and Sansa laughed. _“Ahh, I don’t know what to say. Just happy birthday, sister, I know that I’ve always been your favourite. You’re my favourite sibling as well, let’s just that be clear so that everyone can know the truth. Happy birthday, Sansa, and thank you for everything.”_

Her smile mirrored the youngest Stark smile. Now it was time for Jeyne to appear. 

_“Happy birthday, BFF,”_ she smiled to the camera, doing a little dance that Sansa mimicked. _“You’ve always been the best part of ESPN. I’m really glad that we’re still friends to this day because I couldn’t live a day without your intelligence or kindness. It’s been a wild ride. From screaming our favourite songs in the car, to crying on your shoulder... I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks for always having my back.”_

_“Yooooo, Sansa girl!”_ Grenn, Pyp and Sam took over the screen. _“We want to wish you the happiest of birthdays, just like you make our best mate the happiest of fools that are in love,”_ Grenn started. _“We truly don’t know how you put up with his brooding every morning,”_ Pyp added. _“It’s because they love each other, guys, Jesus,”_ Sam rolled his eyes. _“I’m sorry this is a mess, Sansa, we’re trying our best. Just…keep being you, because you’re clearly special. Happy birthday!”_

Sansa couldn’t stop smiling, always taking deep breaths between the takes. Catelyn appeared, her red hair taking over the screen. Ned screamed that his doodles were appearing at the video, and Sansa kissed his tiny hands. 

_“Dear Sansa, I can only wish you a lifetime of happiness. You’ve always been light, and wherever you go, you change lives for the better. I’m so proud of you, darling,”_ Catelyn started to tear up, and Sansa let out a sob beside Jon. _“You make me proud every day. Your kindness inspires me, the loving way you treat everyone inspires me, but mostly, the way you always took care of our family inspires me. You’ve been my Achilles heel for decades now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you for giving me the most beautiful grandson and granddaughter. I’m sure he looks over us and smiles at our beautiful family. I love you, dear. Happy birthday.”_

Sansa covers her eyes at the mention of her father, fanning her hands at her eyes. She takes another deep breath, mutters something that seems like a My Gods, then looks at the screen again. 

Jon had put up a little montage of their life together. He’d edited clips from Rio to the birth of Lyanna and Ned, random clips of them together in all of the houses they’d shared. It had clips from Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Liverpool and London. The first steps and words from their children, the day they got Lady and Ghost, Sansa working on the first collection of her clothing brand, her shitty moves during Muay Thai classes. Clips of them playing with Lyanna and Ned, walking down the park, of Sansa singing while she cooked something. 

She watched everything with a smile on her red-face-from-crying. And Jon watched her carefully, so full of love and gratitude, so full of happiness. 

Ned’s doodles took over the screen, transitioning to Lyanna’s room. She was drawing something on her bed. After a few moments, she tucked her hair behind her ear, then shower the drawing to the camera. 

_“Hey, mommy. Here’s our family: you, Dad, me and Ned. We’re playing on our yard. Happy birthday Mama, I love when you braid my hair and tell me I’m pretty and teach me things. The dresses that you make me are very beautiful. I looooooove them. They're perfect. I don’t like when you tell me to eat fruits, but it’s okay, because I know that it’s good for my health, right? Anyway, I hope you like this surprise, Mum, we worked really hard on it, me, Ned and Dad. We just want to make you happy, because you make us happy. I love you so much. You’re the best Mum in the world, and you’re all mine.”_ she sent kisses to the camera. 

Sansa chuckled, hugging Lyanna tightly by her side. When Ned appeared on the screen, Sansa called him to sit between her and Jon. She embraced him with her other arm, and he adjusted himself on her chest. 

_“Hi, Mum! Happy birthday! It was very fun to put up this video for you. We hope you like it, it was hard work. I wrote you a poem. I’m going to read it for you now,”_ he straightened his chest, picked up a piece of paper, and started to read. _“I’m only eight, I don’t know much about life, but please hear my lines. I’m three and I like to run in the park, you’re always there to catch me if I fall. I’m five and I like to pretend I’m a pirate and I tear the whole house down, but you help me put everything back in its place. I’m eight and figuring out who I want to be, and you’re always saying that I can be whatever I want. I’m eight and I’m growing up in a beautiful house, led by the best Mum in the world. I’m eight and I know that I don’t say it as much as I should, so I’m letting you know that I love you,”_ he looks up at the camera again. _“So, that’s it. Happy birthday again, Mum! Ah! And I don’t hate my name. I love that it’s for grandpa. So stop thinking that it's old for nowadays. I love it, I promise.”_

“Oh my Gods,” Sansa whispered as she held Ned close to her heart. “I never knew I had this many tears inside of me.” 

Jon grinned, stretching his arm to reach her hair. As he appeared on the screen, he started to smooth her red locks. 

_“Hello, love,”_ he waved to the camera. _“Please, don’t kill me. I think this is the kind of surprises that you like, because it’s the one in which you’ll know how much you’re loved by the most important people in your life, right? So you got to love it. Anyway, you know that I don’t have many ways with words, if I have any. I’m more of a visual guy, but since you were the one who proposed all those years ago, you were the one who gave me a big speech, and I’ve always felt that I needed to give you a big speech as well,”_ Jon took a deep breath, nervously pushing a curl behind his ear. _“Baby, I can never thank the skies enough to have you in my life. I like to think that our encounter was planned by the universe, because only something greater could result in something like this, like us. It can’t be normal the way I feel about you. I love everything about you, honey, because you’re love. You’re it; you’re love, from head to toe, and all its beautiful magnificence. Your wit amazes me, your sense of humour fits mine, your smile lights up my world. I’m so lucky to spend the rest of my life staring at your starry eyes, helping you build our beautiful family. Lyanna, Ned and you are the best things that ever happened to me. The day I met you, I could never walk away. It’s you and me, baby, that’s my whole world. It’s been like this for over a decade. I love you, our family, our ups and downs, and how we work together to overcome difficult times. Thanks for making me the happiest man in this world. Thanks for giving me a home. I still don’t know what you saw in me that made you stay, but I’m glad it did, because I only see you, and Ned and Lyanna,”_ he had tears in his grey dark eyes. _“People are always asking me what is the secret to a great and long marriage, you know what I always tell them?”_ Jonpaused for a moment, like he was waiting for an answer. 

Sansa turned her head to look at him, and she’s a crying mess, but Jon thinks she never looked this beautiful. Then, she managed to say, “We were never one. We always preferred to be _two_.” 

Jon nodded, smiling at her. He kept staring at his wife as his own voice caught her attention again. From the big screen, Jon completed his thoughts. 

_“Yes, exactly, I knew you’d knew the answer. We were never one, we always preferred to be two. We always preferred to be two, but **together**. Happy birthday, baby. I love our journey, and I love you.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I can't believe I've finished this story! It was really difficult to write the kids, but I'm happy with the result. This fic came to me in a dream after I watched a random video on youtube about 35 questions to fall in love.  
> I just want to thank all of your support, and I really hope you like how we say goodbye to them.  
> Now, onto the next adventure! xx
> 
> P.S. You can always send me prompts or talk all things Jonsa on my tumblr - I'm sansastarkw. :)


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